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REV.  C.  O.  BOOTHE,  D.  D. 

Author  of  "  Plain  Theology." 


THE 


CYCLOPEDIA 

OF  THE 

(JjOloFFh  ^aptish  of  Jflflabama 


Their  Leaders  and  Their  W 


/  j 


X^\  BY 

Charles  Octavius  Boothe 

Author  Of  "  Plain  Theology  for  Plain  People 


birmingham  : 

Alabama  Pcblisbino  Compaxy. 

1895 


COPYBIGHT  1895 

By  Rev.  C.  O.  Boothe,  D.  D. 


/ 


*» 


o 

o 

-  ^ 


INDEX  TO  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PAGE. 

Rev.  C.  0.  Boothe Frontispiece 

Rev.  J.  Q.  A.  Wilhite 12 

Hon.  A.  H.  Curtis 19 

Mrs.  A.  A.  Bowie 26 

Rev.  L.  S.  Steinb ack  in  the  act  of  Baptism 33 

Mrs.  D.  S.  Jordan 36 

tee      Shiloh  Church,  Birmingham Facing  45 

v         Rev.  F.  R.  Kennedy 56 

Mrs.  M.  D.  Duncan 66 

Rev.  J.  P.  Barton ' 75 

Miss  H.  Martin 82 

Rev.  W.  R.  Pettiford 91 

Rev.  J.  L.  Frazier 99 

Rev.  P.  S.  L  Hutchins '. 106 

Rev.  W.  T.  Bibb 110 

Sixteenth  Street  Church,  Birmingham Facing  120 

Rev.  S.  L.  Belser 129 

Dr.  U.  G.  Mason 136 

Rev.  J.  P.  O'Rilet 144 

Miss  Ella  Knapp 151 

Rev.  J.  H.  Eason 158 

Miss  A.  L.  Bowman Ifi5 

Rev.  M.  Tyler 172 

Mrs.  Rebecca  Pitts 179 

Rev.  W.  C.  Bradford 186 

Rev.  EL  Woodsmall 194 

Rev.  J.  E.  Wilson 203 

Rev.  L.  S.  Steinback 212 

St.  Louis  Street  Church,  Mobile. Facing  221 

Rev.  T.  W.  Walker 228 

Rev.  J.  W.  Jackson 238 

First  Church,  Selma 244 

Miss  Joanna  P.  Moore,  Nashville Facing  249 

Rev.  C.  J.  Hardy ■ 254 

Rev.  S.  L.  Ross 259 

Dexter  Avenue  Church,  Montgomery Facing  262 

Rev.  C.  L.  Purce 265 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  THE  AUTHOR. 


POSSIBLY  some  one  may  desire  at  some  time  and  for  some 
reason  to  know  something  of  the  author  of  this  book, 
and  therefore  he  submits  the  followiDg  short  statement: 

Lineage  and  Nativity. — His  great-grandmother  was  born 
I  on  the  west  coast  of  Africa  and  was  brought  a  slave  to  Virginia, 
*  where  his  grandmother  was  born.  Ere  his  grandmother  had 
reached  her  "maturity  of  womanhood,  she  was  sold  into  Geor- 
gia, where  his  mother  was  born.  While  his  mother  was  still 
a  child,  she  and  her  mother  were  carried  to  Mobile  county, 
Ala.,  by  a  Mr.  Nathan  Howard.  In  this  county,  on  a  lonely 
looking  sand  hill  amid  pine  forests,  on  June  13, 1845,  the  writer 
made  his  advent  into  this  world.  (In  this  year,  1845,  the 
Baptists  of  America  divided.) 

Early  Recollections. —  Stored  away  in  my  earliest  mem- 
ories I  find  :  (I)  The  songs  and  family  prayers  of  my  step- 
grandfather,  a  pure  African,  who  had  not  only  learned  to  read 
his  Bible  and  hymn  book,  but  had  also  learned  the  rudiments 
of  vocal  music  sufficiently  well  to  teach  the  art  of  singing. 
(2)  The  tender  and  constant  attention  of  an  old  white  lady 
(the  only  white  person  on  the  place),  who  took  my  hand  as 
she  went  out  to  look  after  the  nests  of  the  domestic  fowls  and 
to  gather  a  dish  of  ripe  fruit.  (3)  A  Baptist  church  in  the 
forest,  where  white  and  colored  people  sat  together  to  com- 
mune and  to  wash  each  other's  feet.  (4)  The  saintly  face  and 
pure  life  of  my  grandmother,  to  whom  white  and  black  went 
for  prayer  and  for  comfort  in  the  times  of  their  sorrows.     (5) 


10  COLORED  BAPTISTS  OF  ALABAMA. 

A  tin-plate  containing  tbe  alphabet,  from  which  at  the  age  of 
3  years,  I  learned  the  English  letters.  (6)  The  death  of  the 
old  white  lady,  and  the  severing  from  dear  grandmother  and 
the  old  home.  (7)  My  introduction  at  the  age  of  6  years  to 
the  family  of  Nathan  Howard,  Jr.,  where  things  were  not 
altogether  as  tender  toward  me  as  at  the  old  home,  and  where 
I  came  more  into  associations  with  books  and  with  life's  sterner 
facts.  The  teachers  who  boarded  here  at  my  new  home  be- 
came my  instructors,  and  so  I  was  soon  reading  and  writing 
fairly  well.  Here,  listening  to  the  reading  of  the  Bible,  I  was 
drawn  toward  it,  and  began  to  read  it  for  myself.  The  gospel 
story  bound  me  to  it  with  cords  which  nothing  has  been  able 
to  break.  At  the  close  of  my  eighth  year  I  began  to  seek 
tbe  Lord  by  prayer  and  supplication,  and  have,  from  that  time 
to  this,  continued  my  secret  devotions  and  strivings  after 
truth.  My  association  with  Col.  James  S.  Terrel,  the  brother 
of  Judge  S.  H.  Terrel,  of  Clark  county,  Miss.,  at  the  age  of 
14,  as  office  boy  in  his  law  office,  gave  me  a  still  broader  range 
of  books.  I  think  1  can  say  that  the  Colonel  and  1  really 
loved  each  other. 

I  am  not  sure  that  I  know  just  when  I  was  regenerated, 
as  my  childhood  prayers  were  often  attended  with  refreshing 
seasons  of  love  and  joy.  But  my  life  was  too  often  very  un- 
christian, breaking  out  into  the  wildest  rages  of  bad  temper, 
which  was  followed  by  weeping  and  remorse.  In  1865,  how- 
ever, I  reached  an  experience  of  grace  which  so  strengthened 
me  as  to  fix  me  on  the  side  of  the  people  of  God.  „  I  went  at 
once  to  reading  the  scriptures  in  public  and  leading  prayer 
meetings;  notwithstanding  this,  I  was  not  baptized  until 
March,  1866,  by  Rev.  0.  D.  Bowen,  of  Shubuta,  Miss.  I  was 
ordained  in  the  St.  Louis  Street  Church,  Mobile,  December, 
1868,  by  Revs.  Charles  Leavens  and  Philip  Gambrell. 

I   taught  school  for  the  Freedmen's  'Bureau  in   1867 — 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  THE  AUTHOR.  11 

taught  various  schools  under  our  public  school  system.  I  have 
been  pastor  of  the  First  Colored  Baptist  Church,  Meridian, 
Miss.,  Dexter  Avenue  Church,  Montgomery,  and  held  various 
State  positions.  The  only  time  I  have  spent  at  school  was 
spent  in  Meharry,  the  medical  department  of  the  Central 
Tennessee  College. 

C.  0.  BOOTHE. 


Rev.  J.  Q.  A.  Wilhite,  Pastor  Sixth  Avenue  Baptist  Church,  Birmingham,  Ala. 


PREFACE. 


THIS  effort  to  give  substantial  and  favorable  testimony  in 
the  interest  of  the  men  and  work  of  the  Colored  Baptists 
of  Alabama  grows  out  of  certain  aims  and  purposes,  such  as  : 

1.  The  desire  to  produce  a  picture  of  the  negro  asso- 
ciated with  the  gospel  under  the  regime  of  slavery.  Such  a 
picture  will  serve  to  turn  our  eyes  upon  the  social,  moral  and 
religious  forces  of  the  dark  times  and  their  fruits  in  the 
negro's  life. 

2.  The  desire  to  make  comparisons — to  compare  the 
colored  man  of  1865  with  the  colored  man  of  1895.  Such  a 
comparison  will  help  the  black  man  himself  to  see  whether  or 
not  he  is  a  groicing  man  or  a  leaning  man.  It  will  also  serve 
to  show  the  same  thing  to  the  friend  and  to  the  foe.  "Appeals 
to  Pharoah  and  to  Caesar"  are  not  so  wise  as  appeals  to  facts, 
which  prove  the  negro  to  be  man  just  as  other  races  are  man. 

The  book  is  not  all  history,  nor  is  it  all  biography ;  it  is 
something  of  both  and  it  is  more.  It  gives  certain  informa- 
tion which  can  neither  rank  as  history  nor  as  biography :  it  is 
the  record'of  special  operations  in  the  denomination  in  differ- 
ent sections  of  the  State  with  a  view  to  showing  the  mental 
status  now  prevailing.  I  have  been  engaged  with  the  book  for 
the  past  seven  years,  during  which  time  I  have  searched  and 
gleaned  as  best  I  could;  I  have  not  tried  to  obtain  everything, 
nor  have  I  had  space  to  talk  of  every  person  who  deserved 
honorable  mention.  To  do  this  would  require  too  large  a  book. 
I  could  not  do  more  than  get  enough  together  to  "round  out" 
my  testimony.     Where  I  have  spoken  of  anything  that  touches 


14  COLORED  BAPTISTS  OF  ALABAMA. 

our  white  brethren  or  the  white  people,  it  has  been  in  tenderest 
love  for  them,  though  my  language  has  been  plain  and  seem- 
ingly bold.  I  think  I  can  risk  the  statement  that  I  have, no 
"  race  prejudice : "  all  men  are  in  a  sense  my  brethren  and  I 
am  brother  to  all  men — akin  to  Christ,  akin  to  me. 

If  a  brother  among  us  deserving  mention  should  not 
appear,  remember  that  many  failed  to  report  to  me  as  I  desired 
them  to  do,  and  that  I  felt  I  could  riot  do  more  than  give  what 
would  make  a  full  showing  of  our  State.  Those  names  that 
came  after  the  work  was  done  had  to  be  put  into  a  supplement. 

It  will  be  seen,  therefore,  that  the  purpose  which  gives 
birth  to  this  little  book  is  not  a  desire  to  present  a  "vain 
show  "  of  names,  appealing  to  pride  for  the  sake  of  gain  ;  but, 
that  it  is  an  humble  aim  to  accomplish  some  good.  It  is  an 
attempt  to  answer  the  questions :  "  From  whence  have  we 
come?  "What  have  we  done?  What  have  we  attained  to? 
What  are  the  possibilities  before  us  ?"  The  book  is  intended 
to  be  a  simple  statement  of  facts ;  which  facts,  it  is  believed, 
will  be  a  sufficient  apology  for  their  appearance  in  book  form. 
The  reader  may  expect  faults  in  arrangement  and  errors  in 
composition,  but  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  the  sweetness  and 
beauty  of  the  flower  will  not  be  rejected  because  of  the  thorns 
upon  the  stem  which  bears  them.  I  have  not  tried  to  tell 
everything.  If  I  speak  of  individuals,  it  is  with  a  view  to 
giving  some  of  their  best  things,  best  deeds,  etc  "Straws 
show  which  way  the  wind  is  blowing,"  it  is  said;  hence  only 
enough  of  each  biographical  sketch  is  given  to  show  the  status 
and  trend  of  the  person  spoken  of.  We  are  too  young,  as  a 
people,  to  make  lengthy  biography.  Coming  times  will  give 
us  this  form  of  literature.  It  will  be  remembered  that  this 
short  period  suffices  to  give  only  a  nucleal  point  in  the  matter 
of  writings.  I  have  churned  the  milk  with  an  eye  to  obtain- 
ing the  butter — the  richest  and  best  we  have.    My  selection  of 


PREFACE. 


15 


material  may  not  be  the  very  best,  but  something  is  better 
than  nothing,  and  I  have  done  the  best  I  could  under  the 
circumstances. 

With  these  prefatory  remarks,  I  present  you  the  rose  with 
its  thorns,  trusting  that  God  will  give  sweetness  and  beauty  to 
the  former  and  allow  the  latter  to  do  no  harm.  I  cheerfully 
record  my  debt  of  gratitude  to  my  faithful  wife,  Mattie  Alice, 
who  has  been  in  this  labor,  as  in  all  others,  my  abiding,  sure 
support. 


H  ISTORY 


OF  THE 


COLORED  BAPTISTS  OF  ALABAMA. 


/.     INTRODUCTION. 


ORIGIN. 


IX  turning  to  the  subject  under  consideration  it  seems  fitting 
that  we  should  first  review  those  facts  and  events  which 
gave  us  our  denominational  existence.  Such  a  course,  it  seems 
to  the  writer,  will  serve  to  give  us  a  proper  "  setting."  It  is 
not  definitely  known  just  when,  where  and  by  whom,  Baptist 
principles  were  first  propagated  upon  the  American  continent ; 
it  is,  however,  an  historic  fact  that  these  principles  assumed 
organic  form  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  in  1639,  in  the  constitution 
of.  a  Baptist,  church  under  Roger  Williams  as  pastor.  Other 
churches  soon  followed,  out  of  the  union  of  which  there  early 
rose  Associations,  Conventions  and  Missionary  Societies. 

In  1620,  nineteen  years  before  the  organization  of  the 
church  in  Providence,  the  African  was  brought  into  Virginia 
as  a  slave.  The  North  and  the  South  joined  heartily  in  the 
work  of  binding  their  black  brother  with  the  chains  of  cruel 


18  COLORED  BAPTISTS  OF  ALABAMA. 

bondage.  Thus  the  naked  savage  was  taken  from  his  freedom 
and  from  his  gods  and  chained  to  the  chariot  wheels  of  Chris- 
tian (?)  civilization  to  be  coerced,  dragged  into  new  observa- 
tions, new  experiences,  and  a  new  life. 

CHANGES. 

In  order  to  give  a  glancing  look  at  the  progress  and  decline 
of  slavery  in  the  North,  and  at  the  sort  of  fruit  the  gospel  was 
bearing  in  the  soul  and  conduct  of  the  slave,  I  copy  the  fol- 
lowing from  the  "  Baptist  Home  Missions  in  America  "  (.Jubilee 
volume) : 

«'  By  1776  there  were  about  300,000  slaves  in  America. 
In  1793  there  were  comparatively  few  slaves  to  be  found  in 
the  Northern  States.  *  .  *  *  In  1790  there  were  697,897 
slaves  in  the  United  States  ;  of  this  number  there  were  17  in 
Vermont,  158  in  New  Hampshire,  2,759  in  Connecticut,  3,707 
in  Pennsylvania,  11,423  in  New  Jersey,  and  20,000  in  New 
York.  *  *  *■  Before  1830  slavery  disappeared  from  all  the 
Northern  States.  In  Vermont  it  was  abolished  in  1777  ;  in 
Massachusetts  in  1780;  while  acts  for  the  gradual  emancipa- 
tion of  slaves  were  passed  in  other  States — in  New  York, 
1799;  in  New  Jersey,  1804.  The  final  act  of  abolition  in  New 
York  being  passed  in  1817,  declaring  all  slaves  free  on  July 
4,  1827. 

"The  native  African,  fresh  from  his  fetich  worship,  and 
incapable  of  comprehending  even  common  religious  statements, 
seemed  an  unpromising  subject  even  for  the  Christian  philan- 
thropist. But,  though  degraded,  he  is  recognized  as  human, 
sinful,  accountable,  in  need  and  capable  of  redemption  through 
Christ.  The  obligation  to  bring  him  to  a  knowledge  of  the 
truth  as  it  is  in  Christ,  is  practically  recognized  by  many 
Christian  ministers  as  well  as  by  many  pious  masters  and 
mistresses.    At  family  devotions  in  many  Christian  households 


Hon  .A.  H.  Curtis,  Ex-Senator  to  Alabama  Legislature  from  Perry  County. 


20  COLORED  BAPTISTS  OF  ALABAMA. 

the  domestics  are  called  in  to  hear  the  Scriptures  read  and 
bow  reverently  as  prayer  is  offered  to  God.  On  Sunday  in 
the  same  meeting  house  master  and  slave  listen  to  the  same 
sermon.  Those  who  give  evidence  of  conversion  are  received 
into  the  church  on  relation  of  their  experience  after  baptism, 
and  sit  with  their  masters  at  the  Lord's  table. 

«  The  First  Colored  Baptist  Church  of  Savannah,  Ga., 
dates  its  organization  from  1788.  Other  colored  Baptist 
churches  appear  in  various  parts  of  the  country -;  in  Ports- 
mouth, Va.,  in  1798  ;  the  Second  African  of  Savannah,  in 
1803;  the  Abysinian  Church  of  New  York  City,  in  1803  ;  the 
African  or  Independent  Church,  Boston,  Mass.,  in  1805;  First 
African  of  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  in  1809;  the  First  African  of 
St.  Louis,  in  1827  ;  the  Ebenezer  of  New  York  City,  in  1825; 
the  Union  Church  of  Philadelphia,  and  a  church  in  the  Dis- 
trict of  Columbia,  in  1832."  One  in  Mobile  in  1839,  of  which 
in  1848,  it  is  said  :  "  They  have  a  fine  house  of  worship  built 
by  themselves,  and  some  excellent  leaders  or  licensed 
preachers  among  them." 

We  have  it  on  good  authority,  that  in  1850,  there  were  in 
America  about  150,000  negro  Baptists.  Thus  we  see  that  in 
230  years  the  gospel  of  Christ,  though  hampered  by  the  insti- 
tution of  slavery,  had  done  much  to  redeem  the  fetich  wor- 
shiper from  his  midnight  darkness  and  consequent  spiritual 
ruin — had  done  much  to  induce  the  black  man  to  obtain  and 
retain  God  in  his  knowledge. 

Often  we  come  upon  plants  which  refuse  to  give  out  their 
sweetness  so  long  as  their  parts  are  unbroken  and  unbleeding, 
but  which  will  quickly  yield  up  their  odors  when  bruised.  So 
it  is  with  men.  It  is  worthy  of  notice  that  these  dark  days  of 
slavery  gave  birth  to  some  strong  colored  preachers.  Among 
others,  the  following  are  mentioned  by  their  white  brethren  : 
Rev.  George  Leile,  of  South  Carolina,  who  visiting  Savannah, 


INTRODUCTION.  21 

Ga.  about  1782  or  1783,  baptized  the  famous  Rev.  Andrew 
Bryan,  of  whom  the  Savannah  Association,  (white)  in  1812, 
made  the  following  mention  :  "  The  association  is  sensibly 
affected  by  the  death  of  the  Kev.  Andrew  Bryan,  a  man  of 
color,  and  pastor  of  the  First  Colored  Church  in  Savannah. 
This  son  of  Africa,  after  suffering  inexpressible  persecutions 
in  the  cause  of  his  Divine  Master,  was  at  length  permitted  to 
discharge  the  duties  of  the  ministry  among  his  colored  friends 
in  peace  and  quiet,  hundreds  of  whom  through  his  instrumen- 
tality were  brought  to  the  knowledge  of  the  truth  as  it  is 
in  Jesus." 

In  1820,  the  Board  of  the  Baptist  General  Convention  of 
America  adopted  as  their  missionaries  Revs.  Collin  Teagueand 
Lot  Cary,  brethren  of  color,  from  the  Baptist  church  of  Rich- 
mond, Va.  These  men  sailed  from  Norfolk,  Va.,  to  Liberia, 
Africa,  in  January,  1821.  Rev.  Thomas  Paul,  who  was  pastor 
of  the  church  in  Boston  from  1805  to  1830.  is  spoken  of  after 
a  very  praiseworthy  manner.  Touching  our  own  State,  we 
begin  at  Mobile. 

MOBILE. 

The  rise  of  the  work  in  the  Southern  section  of  Alabama 
appears  in  the  following,  copied  from  Brother  Holcombe's 
work,  and  originally  written  for  the  Christian  Index,  March 
10,  1836: 

"About  120  years  ago  a  few  Frenchmen  came  here  and 
ma'de  the  first  little  opening  in  the  pine  forest.  Previously  to 
1817  it  was  occupied  principally  as  a  place  of  deposit  and 
trade  with  the  Indians.  Now  its  population  is  not  far  from 
10,000.  Eighteen  years  ago  a  single  steamboat  found  her  way 
to  this  port,  now  forty-five  are  employed  in  the  Mobile  trade. 
The  Baptist  church  was  constituted  March,  1835,  by  J.  G. 
Collins,  R.  L.  Barnes  and  P.  Stout  with  ten  members.    Rev. 


22  COLORED  BAPTISTS  OF  ALABAMA. 

G.F.  Heard  was  called  to  begin  the  pastorate  February  14, 1836. 

"At  that  time  they  had  no  house  of  worship,  but  met  in 
the  court  house,  and  for  a  time  they  met  in  the  house  belong- 
ing to  the  African  Baptist  Church.  The  African  Church  is  in 
a  prosperous  condition  ;  their  number  is  about  90." 

In  this  city  and  county  the  colored  people  had  more 
liberty  and  better  treatment  than  in  any  other  section  of  the 
State.  The  free  people  and  those  who  hired  their  time  often 
supported  schools  for  the  education  of  their  children.  Revs. 
Wm.  Dossey,  P.  Stout,  A.  Travis,  J.  H.  Schroebel,  Mt.  Haw- 
thorne and  Mr.  Spence  (all  white)  are  mentioned  as  pioneers 
and  fathers  of  the  work  at  this  point.  Near  this  old  French 
town,  June  13,  1845,  the  writer  was  born,  and  in  this  county 
and  city  he  spent  the  first  fourteen  years  of  his  life,  and  many 
years  since.  For  some  years  prior  to  the  late  civil  war,  the 
Stone  Street  and  St.  Louis  Street  churches  (colored)  were  both 
noted  for  their  numbers  and  their  financial  strength. 

STONE    STREET   CHURCH. 

This  is  the  "mother  church."  The  father  of  the  Rev.  J. 
B.  Hawthorne,  in  the  early  part  of  their  history,  served  them 
as  pastor,  receiving  a  regular  salary  of  them.  At  the  close  of 
the  war,  Mr.  Spence  was  their  pastor,  since  which  time  they 
have  been  under  the  leadership  of  the  Rev.  B.  J.  Burke,  a  man 
who  in  many  regards  is  as  strong  as  he  is  peculiar.  This 
church,  however,  has  not  done  much  in  the  way  of  missions, 
and  not  a  great  deal  for  education.  One  of  the  peculiar 
customs  of  the  pastor  is  to  "bless  children."  Standing  in  the  ' 
pulpit,  he  holds  the  child  up  in  his  arms  while  he  prays  God's  f 
blessings  upon  it.  -  .  ! 

A  case  of  discipline  which  came  up  in  this  church  many 
years  ago,  led  to  the  formation  of  the  St.  Louis  Street 
Church,  and  I  am  sorry  to  say  gave  birth  to  a  very  bitter  sec- 


INTRODUCTION.  '     .  23 

tional  feeling  between  the  two  bodies,  which  feeling  has  long 
been  a  blight  to  the  Baptist  cause  in  South  Alabama. 

This  church  is  stubbornly  set  against  all  secret  societies, 
so  that  no  secret  society  people  are  allowed  in  its  membership. 
The  pastor  is  elected  for  life.  For  the  support  of  its  poor  it 
has  a  fund  which  is  called  the  "  Church  Treasury." 

ST.    LOUIS    STREET    CHURCH. 

This  church  was  for  many  years  especially  noted  for  its 
missionary  enterprise.  To  this  church  Alabama  owes  many 
of  her  pioneer  preachers.  The  late  Rev.  Charles  Leavens,  who 
was  pastor  just  after  the  close  of  the  war,  sought  to  send  a 
pioneer,  an  organizer,  into  every  section  of  the  State.  Their 
present  house  of  worship  cost,  I  am  told,  about  $24,000,  and  is 
a  two-story  brick  structure.  Since  the  war  their  pastors  have 
been :  Revs.  Charles  Leavens,  I.  Grant,  A.  Butler,  C.  C. 
Ricbardson,  and  the  present  occupant,  Rev.  Mr.  Frazier.  This 
church  seems  now  in  full  sympathy  with  its  past  missionary 
record,  over  which  no  one  rejoices  more  than  the  writer,  since 
itisirom  this  church  that  he,  under  God,  received  his  com- 
mission to  preach  the  gospel  of  the  Son  of  Righteousness. 

ST.  ANTHONY    STREET    CHURCH NOW    FRANKLYN    STREET. 

This  church  deserves  honorable  mention.  Rev.  A.  F. 
Owens  led  to  the  purchase  of  the  property  on  St.  Anthony 
street,  and  served  as  pastor  for  several  years — 1878  to  1889. 
Rev.  A.  N.  McEwen,  the  present  pastor,  advised  the  church  to 
sell  and  purchase  at  a  more  desirable  point.  They  are  now 
buying  a  building  on  Franklyn  street.  This  church  has  had 
an  earnest  class  of  workers,  who  have  made  great  and  painful 
sacrifices  for  the  cause. 


24  "      COLORED    BAPTISTS    OF    ALABAMA. 

UNION    CHURCH. 

This  church  is  another  secession  from  Stone  Street.  It, 
too,  has  some  strong  people  in  it.    Rev.  A.  F.  Owens  is  pastor. 

There  are  other  churches  around  worthy  of  mention.  So 
much  is  said  only  to  show  the  rise  and  progress  of  the  Baptist 
cause  in  this  section  of  Alabama.  The  great  need  here  is 
more  brotherly  love,  instead  of  the  bitter  prejudice  which 
withers  every  hope  of  united  effort.  Of  course,  many  of  the 
the  good  people  are  already  free  from  its  fearful  influence,  but 
far  too  many  are  still  slaves  to  it. 

Among  the  founders,  or  ante-bellum  members  of  the  col- 
ored Baptist  work  in  Mobile,  we  find  the  names  of  Rev. 
Charles  Leavens  and  wife,  James  Somerville,  Judge  Europe, 
Thomas  Sawyer,  Rev.  B.  J.  Burke,  and  Crawley  Johnson. 

HUNTSVILLE,  MADISON  COUNTY. 

Here  is  where  our  Statehood  was  born,  the  Constitution 
being  formed  here  in  1819.  Huntsville  is  our  State's  first 
capital.  Taking  Mr.  Hosea  Holcombe  as  authority,  the  first 
Baptist  church  organized  in  Alabama  was  constituted  within 
a  few  miles  of  Huntsville,  in  1808.  Their  constitutional 
membership  was  eleven,  and  Rev.  John  Nicholson  was  their 
first  pastor.  The  first  negro  Baptist  church  constituted  in 
this  section  of  the  State  was  the  African  Baptist  Church  of 
Huntsville,  organized  about  the  year  1820.  I  say  1820,  for 
the  reason  that  in  1821  they  are  recorded  as  entering  into  the 
Flint  River  Association,  with  seventy-six  members.  Rev. 
William  Harris,  "a  free  colored  man,"  is  mentioned  as  their 
first  pastor.  It  seems  that  Brother  Harris  soon  fell  under  the 
influence  of  a  white  preacher,  William  Crutcher,  and  became 
established   in   the  faith   of  the   Piimitive   Baptists.     Over 


INTRODUCTION.  25 

seventy  years   have  passed  away,  and   still   Kev.   Bartlett 
Harris,  a  grandson  of  Rev.  William  Harris,  is  preaching  the 
"election  of  grace."     Instead  of  seventy-six  Missionary  mem- 
bers, there  are  now  about   two  thousand   Primitives.    The 
Rev.  W.  H.  Gaston  is  the  leading  educator  among  them.     He 
is  a  man  of  quiet  and  humble  spirit,  and  is  now  trying  to 
I  establish^  school  at  Huntsville.    How  we  Missionaries  need 
a  school  in  Madison  county!     Our  little  Missionary  church 
seems  bound  hand  and  foot.    At  this  writing,  Rev.  Oscar  Gray 
is  pastor,  and  he  seems  to  do  as  well  as  circumstances  allow. 
Perhaps  I  cannot  close  this  notice  of  Madison   county 
"    more  profitably  than  by  directing  the  attention  of  the  reader 
!   to  the  vast  consequences,  in  the  form  of  false  views  and  false 
practices,  which  came  of  one  man's  decisions.     Rev.  William 
Harris  decided  to  follow  Mr.  Crutcher,  and  now  thousands  of 
people  walk  in  his  track  as  anti-Missionaries. 

PERRY  AND  HALE  COUNTIES. 

At  Salem  Church,  near  Greensboro,  the  Alabama  State 
Convention   (white)  was  organized  October,  1823,  not  quite 

'  forty-five  years  before  the  organization  of  the  Colored  Baptist 
Convention  in  1868,  and  its  first  anniversary  was  held  at 
Marion,  in  Perry  county. 

Reference  is  made  to  these  facts  in  order  to  introduce 
other  facts  bearing  a  closer  relation  to  ourselves.  Within  a 
circle  of  twenty-five  miles  of  Marion — and  Greensboro,  is  near 
this  point — some  of  the  mightiest  influences  in  support  of 
Baptist  views  have  risen  up  and  gone  forth  upon  the  colored 

.  Baptists  of  Alabama.  The  colored  people  of  Marion,  and 
throughout  the  country  around,  are  hardly  less  noted  for  their 
refinement  than  they  are  for  their  Baptistic  opinions.     In  this 

/section  arose  those   colored   men  of  power  and   of  pioneer 


Mrs.  A.  A.  Bowie,  Instructress  in  Dressmaking,  Selma  University. 


;■ 


INTRODUCTION.  27 

fame Revs.  James  Childs,  the  first  pastor  of  the  Marion 

Church  (colored) ;  Henry  Stevens,  first  pastor  of  the  Greens- 
boro Church,  and  John  Dosier,  so  long  pastor  of  the  church 
in  Uniontown.  This  point,  till  right  recently,  has  been  the 
educational  center  of  our  white  brethren,  and  here  in  Marion, 
the  first  colored  State  Normal  school  began,  as  the  result  of 
the  influence  of  the  late  Hon.  A.  H.  Curtis,  of  Baptist  fame. 

MONTGOMERY  CITY  AND  COUNTY. 

Baptist  principles  manifested  themselves  in  this  part  of 
Alabama  about  1818-19  in  the  constitution  of  the  Elim 
Church,  near  the  city  of  Montgomery,  and  Messrs.  J.  McLe- 
more,  S.  Ray,  and  W.  J.  Larkin,  are  mentioned  as  pioneers. 

A    STRAW    WHICH    SHOWS    WHTCH    WAT    THE    WIND  BLOWS. 

In  Dr.  Riley's  "  History  of  Alabama  Baptists,"  we  have 
the  following  :  "  A  negro  slave,  named  Caesar,  a  bright,  smart, 
robust  fellow  *  *  *  was  ordained  to  preach.  His  ability 
was  so  marked,  and  the  confidence  which  he  enjoyed  was  so 
profound,  that  Rev.  James  McLemore  would  frequently  have 
Csesar  attend  him  upon  bis  preaching  tours.  He  was  some- 
times taken  by  Mr.  McLemore  into  the  pulpit,  and  never  failed 
of  commanding  the  most  rapt  and  respectful  attention." 

To  the  credit  of  the  Alabama  Association,  it  is  written 
that  they  bought  this  man  and  gave  him  his  liberty  that  he 
might  preach  among  them  the  gospel  of  Christ ;  and  it  is  said, 
that  though  he  was  as  black  as  a  crow,  he  traveled  alone  and 
unharmed  on  the  mission  of  life.  Thus  the  negro  appears  in 
the  foundation  of  gospel  operations  in  Central  Alabama. 
Here  also  appear  the  victories  of  the  gospel  leaven,  the 
triumphs  of  the  love  of  God  over  those  hearts  wherein  Christ 
was  king. 

The  price  paid  for  Brother  Csesar  Blackwell  is  given  as 


28  COLORED  BAPTISTS  OF  ALABAMA. 

$625.  Catching  inspiration  from  the  encouragement  befoie 
them  in  the  form  of  their  brother  Csesar  Blackwell's  success, 
and  the  good  will  of  the  Christian  white  people  to  whose  fel- 
lowship they  belonged,  Nathan  Ashby  and  Jacob  Belser  (col- 
ored) soon  became  active  workers. 

TUSCALOOSA  AND  JEFFERSON  COUNTIES. 

Perhaps  the  first  church  (white)  organized  in  Jefferson 
county  was  organized  about  the  year  1818.  Dr.  Holconibe's 
history  tells  us  that  in  1823  the  "Rock  Creek  Church,"  in 
Tuscaloosa  county,  received  into  its  membership  from  South 
Carolina  an  African  preacher,  Job  Davis.  Mr.  Holcombe  says 
of  him:  "He  was  *n  acceptable  preacher,  a  man  of  deep 
thought,  sound  judgment,  and  was  well  skilled  in  the  Scrip- 
tures of  Divine  Truth." 

The  venerable  Mr.  A.  J.  Waldrop,  of  Birmingham,  in- 
formed the  writer  that  when  a  little  boy  he  heard  Job  preach 
in  a  camp  meeting.  He  said:  "The  meeting  had  been  in 
progress  a  week  or  so,  and  mother  and  father  went  to  the 
camp  on  Sunday  morning.  The  meeting  was  very  cold. 
Brother  Holcombe  was  wondering  who  would  be  the  fit 
preacher  to  open  the  day's  services,  as  Job,  now  free  from  his 
daily  toil,  walked  into  camp.  As  Brother  Holcombe  saw  him, 
he  remarked:  'There  is  our  man.'  Job  was  led  up  to  the 
stand  and  invited  to  go  up  and  take  a  seat.  Job  replied  : 
'No,  I'll  stand  down  here  in  front  of  it.'  Job  then  reached 
back  to  the  top  of  the  stand  and  took  off  the  Bible  and  opened 
it.  I  can  never  forget  the  deep  thrill  of  devotion  which  Job's 
person  and  manner  turned  in  upon  the  audience  that  day; 
something  of  the  feeling  is  with  me  yet.  He  had  hardly 
parted  his  lips  before  men  and  women  began  to  sob.  When 
he  was  through  with  his  sermon,  it  was  plain  to  all  that  the 
meeting  was  no  longer  a  dead  meeting.    This  was  the  begin- 


INTRODUCTION.  29 

ninff  of  a  revival  which  affected  much  of  Tuscaloosa  county." 

Mr.  Holcombe  says  of  Job,  in  another  place  in  his  book 
"Job  was  brought  from  Africa  to  Charleston,  S.  C,  in  1806 
professed  religion  in  1812;  soon  learned  to  read  and  write 
taught  Sunday  school  for  two  summers  in  Abbeville  district 
S.  C.-  licensed  to  preach  in  1818;  came  to  Alabama  in  1822 
died  November  17,  1835,  in  Pickens  county.  He  lived  the 
Christian,  he  died  a  saint." 

Further,  Mr.  Holcombe  says  :  "  In  those  days  we  had  but 
few  better  preachers  than  Job." 

Thus  it  appears  that  not  only  in  wars  for  independence, 
but  in  gospel  labors  as  well,  the  negro  is  in  the  foundations  of 
this  country.  ^ 

Rev.  Prince  Murrell,  who  had  bought  himself  sometime 
before  the  days  of  the  Emancipation,  opened  the  work  at 
Tuscaloosa  on  the  dawn  of  freedom.  Rev.  Messrs.  M.  Tyler 
and  M.  D.  Alexander  came  into  the  van  at  Lowndesboro. 


LEE,  MACON,  BULLOCK  AND   BARBOUR  COUNTIES. 

At  Tuskegee,  in  Macon,  was  the  Rev.  Doc.  Phillips  (a 
blacksmith),  a  man  who,  it  seems,  refused  to  accept  his 
freedom  at  the  hands  of  his  white  brethren  in  order  that  his 
preaching  might  be  more  acceptable  to  his  people  in  slavery. 

At  Auburn,  in  Lee,  was  the  Rev.  Thomas  Glenn,  a  man 
respected  and  trusted  .no  less  by  his  white  neighbors  than  by 
his  own  people  for  his  genuine  piety  and  honorable  life. 

In  Barbour  and  Bullock,  Revs.  Jerry  Shorter,  M.  Coleman, 
William  McCoo  and  Deacon  J.E.Timothy  possessed  the  spirit 
of  leadership,  and  moved  forward  in  the  work  of  organization 
upon  the  appearance  of  liberty.  Rev.  E.  Thornton  soon  ap- 
pears. 


30  COLORED  BAPTISTS  OF  ALABAMA. 


GREENVILLE,  BUTLER  COUNTY. 

In  this  town  and  county  the  Rev.  Stewart  Adams  is  the 
pioneer.  In  1872  or  1873,  he  was  appointed  missionary  under 
the  American  Baptist  Home  Mission  Society,  and  was  thus 
enabled  to  extend  his  operations,  which  resulted  in  the  organ- 
ization of  one  of  the  first  associations  (Union). 

SELMA. 

Somewhere  between  1840-45,  a  colored  church  was  organ- 
ized in  Selma,  the  first  colored  leader  of  which  was  a  Mr. 
Samuel  Phillips,  a  man  who  obtained  his  liberty  (so  the  late 
Mr.  A.  Goldsby  reported)  by  some  service  he  rendered  the 
country  in  the  Mexican  war.  A.  Goldsby  and  Charles  White 
(late  treasurer  of  our  Convention)  were  principal  persons  in 
the  organization. 


So  much  has  been  said  to  show  the  ante-liberty  growths. 
It  seems  fitting  to  close  this  chapter  with  the  appearance  of 
freedom  as  the  writer  saw  it. 

From  the  days  of  my  earliest  recollection,  freedom's 
shadowy  forms  moved  before  the  eyes  of  the  Southern  slave. 
He  felt  or  thought  that  he  felt — he  saw  or  thought  he  saw — 
the  touch  and  visage  of  approaching  liberty.  In  subdued  tones 
it  was  whispered  upon  ears  that  could  be  trusted,  that  slavery, 
with  all  its  accompanying  horrors,  was  soon  to  be  a  thing  of 
the  past.  Praying  bands  were  organized  and  met  in  distant 
groves  to  pray  for  liberty.  Gathered  beneath  the  sighing  trees 
and  nightly  skies,  they  whispered  their  agonies  upon  the  ears  of 
the  Almighty — whispered  lowly,  lest  the  passing  winds  should 
bear  their  petitions  to  the  ears  of  the  overseer  or  master. 
And  often — as  with  Daniel  and  his  companions  in  Babylon — 
the  God  who  reveals  secrets  to  them  that  love  him,  uncovered 


INTRODUCTIONS  31 

before  our  minds  coming  events,  which  caused  us  to  laugh 
and  cry.  But  we  kept  these  things  in  our  hearts,  and  it  was 
a  wonder  to  all  around  that  the  slave  could  sing  in  his  fur- 
nace of  hot  afflictions.  God,  in  unfolding  hope,  was  with  us 
in  the  fire,  and  so  we  were  sustained. 

-      DREAM  TELLING. 

They  fall  to  dreaming  :  Contending  armies  are  seen  in 
battle,  and  the  one  favorable  to  the  liberty  of  the  slave  is  seen 
to  prevail.  Old  trees  appear  to  wither  and  disappear  before 
trees  of  new  sort. 

The  war  cloud  bursts  and  the  slave  mingles  his  prayers 
with  the  roar  of  the  booming  cannon,  tarrying  on  his  knees 
while  the  American  soldiery  contend  in  mortal  strife.  It 
was  understood  to  mean  liberty.  At  last  the  deadly  struggle 
ceased,  and  emancipation  was  declared.  It  was  only  the 
dawning,  and  therefore  the  light  was  dim. 

THK  BITTER  BUD. 

One  of  the  saddest  mistakes  of  the  slave  was,  that  he 
thought  so  much  of  the  pleasures  of  freedom  and  so  little  of  its 
weighty  obligations.  To  him,  freedom  meant  mansions,  lands, 
teams,  money,  position,  educated  sons  and  refined  daughters, 
with  the  liberty  to  go  and  to  act  as  he  pleased.  If  he  might 
have  burdened  his  mind  with  thoughts  of  his  sore  destitution 
of  heart,  of  intellect,  of  purse;  if  he  might  have  thought  of 
his  poverty  as  to  skill  in  the  arts,  sciences  and  professions  of 
life,  as  to  social  status,  as  to  domestic  relations,  as  to  opportu- 
nities to  succeed  in  a  wrestle  for  life  by  the  side  of  the  victo- 
.  rious  white  man — if  he  might  have  seen  that  to  make  himself 
*  a  strong  manhood  was  his  first  and  his  most  important  duty — 
if  his  mind  might  have  been  full  of  these  thoughts,  it  had 


32     .         COLORED  BAPTISTS  OF  ALABAMA. 

been  a  thousand  fold  better  for  him.  But,  as  his  mind  was  on 
pleasures,  he  was  disappointed  when  they  proved  only  phan- 
toms, and  hence  the  bud  of  liberty  was  bitter. 

Indeed,  to  those  who  had  the  ability  to  discern,  the  first 
view  of  liberty  was  frightful  in  proportion  as  it  was  seri- 
ously considered.  Naturally,  as  the  shackles  suddenly  fell  off, 
there  was  such  a  forcible  rebounding  of  life,  as  in  many  cases 
made  liberty  mean  license  to  live  idle  and  lewd. 

,  I  can  never  forget  my  first  impressions  at  the  full  view  of 

freedom.  O,  what  helplessness  appeared  in  our  condition ! 
Every  day,  for  weeks,  shoeless  and  hatless  men  and 
women,  with  half  naked,  hungry  children,  passed  through  the 
little  town  where  I  lived,  not  knowing  whither  they  went, 
what  were  their  names,  nor  what  they  sought.  A  certain 
man,    when  I    first    met    him,    was    introduced    to    me    as 

Mr.  M .      A  little  after  this,  I  was  surprised  to  find  that 

he  was  not  Mr.  M ,  but  was  Mr.  R — — .  And  my  ability  to 

be  surprised  was  considerably  lessened  when  1  finally  learned 

that  Mr.  R was  now  Mr.  H . 

Long  and  anxiously  I  waited  for  the  appearance  of  some 
great  colored  men  to  assume  leadership  in  matters  of  religion 

|  and  education,  but  I  waited  in  vain.  My  heart  ached  as  though 
it  would  break,  and  was  at  last  only  partially  relieved  of  its 
weight  when  my  brother  (Rev.  J.  Gomez)  and  I  had  built  an 

i    humble  house  in  which  to  worship  God  and  teach  the  children. 

j   Into  this  we,  boys  though  we  were,  called  the  people  to  meet 

i    to  hear  the  reading  of  the  Scriptures  and  to  pray. 

/ 

ORGANIZATION  IN  ALABAMA. 

In  1864  there  were  four  Colored  Missionary  Baptist 
Churches  in  Alabama,  owning  property  worth  about  $10,000. 
Two  of  these  were  located  in  Mobile  city — the  Stone  and  the* 


34  COLORED  BAPTISTS  OF  ALABAMA. 


St.  Louis  Street  Churches.    Another  was  located  in   Selma, 
and  is  now  known  as  the  First  Colored  Baptist  Church. 

Of  course  there  was  no  association,  no  convention,  no 
graded  school  of  learning.  The  colored  people  of  Mobile 
enjoyed  superior  advantages  over  those  of  other  sections  of 
the  State  and  hence  many  of  them  had  made  fair  attainments 
in  letters.  But  in  all  the  State  there  was  but  one  Baptist 
preacher,  to  the  writer's  knowledge,  in  April,  1865,  who  could, 
with  any  degree  of  honesty,  claim  to  be  an  educated  Baptist 
negro  preacher.  This  was  one  Rev.  Moses  B.  Avery.  I  think 
he  is  now  in  Mississippi.  Anyhow  I  know  that  soon  after  the 
close  of  the  war  he  joined  the  Methodist  brethren  and  left  the 
State.  It  will  be  seen,  therefore,  that  he  was  no  help  to  the 
Colored  Baptists  of  Alabama. 

The  change  which  the  war  had  wrought  as  to  the  civil 
status  of  the  black  man,  changing  him  from  slave  to  freedman, 
affected  his  church  standing,  so  that  ex-master  and  ex-slave 
did  not  quite  fit  each  other  in  the  old  "  meeting  house,"  as  they 
had  done  in  days  of  yore.  There  was  restlessness  on  one  side, 
and  suspicion  on  the  other.  The  black  man  wanted  to  go  out 
and  set  up  housekeeping  for  himself,  while  the  white  man  in 
most  cases  feared  and  hesitated  to  lay  on  the  hands  of  ordina- 
tion. We  did  not  know  each  other.  The  "negro  preacher" 
on  one  side  of  the  river  had  but  little  opportunity  to  know  his 
brother  on  the  other  side.  Truly  our  beginning  was  dark 
and  chaotic. 

It  is  said  that  necessity  is  the  mother  of  invention.  In 
all  ages  of  the  world,  and  with  all  peoples,  want — a  sense  of 
need — has  gone  before  human  creations.  The  black  man  of 
the  South  was  like,  in  this,  the  balance  of  human  kind. 
When  set  at  liberty,  he  was  for  some  time  lost  in  looking  upon 
the  wonderful  changes  that  had  passed  over  him.  But  when 
he  came  to  himself  he  began  slowly  to  realize  his  needs.    He 


INTRODUCTION.  35 


be°"an,  for  example,  to  feel  the  need  of  church  and  of  school, 
and  out  of  this  feeling  of  want  on  these  lines  there  arose 
thought,  discussion,  plan,  action.  Those  who  were  of  like 
faith  and  gospel  practice  began  to  meet  for  prayer  and  for 
•conference,  and  at  last  to  unite  in  church  covenant,  forming 
churches.  Then  churches,  under  the  leadership  of  progressive 
men,  were  joined  in  associational  compacts.  They  met  first 
only  to  sing  and  pray,  and  listen  to  talks  from  white  brethren. 
Want  increased ;  burdens  increased;  the  horizon  of  duty  and 
possibility  widened.  Under  a  sense  of  duty  and  repeated 
exercise,  mind  and  heart  developed  into  greater  strength  and 
into  greater  capacity  for  thought,  plan,  speech,  and  execution. 
Kindred  spirits  sought  each  other's  fellowship  and  counsel, 
and  talked  about  the  work  which  might  be  done.  Soon  it  was 
felt  by  some  that  a  general  State  Convention  was  both  neces- 
sary and  possible.  The  desire,  plan  and  call  for  such  an  or- 
ganization ripened  among  the  brethren  at  and  around  the 
Capital  City.  Perhaps  Montgomery  was  foremost,  for  the 
reason  that  here  was  the  legislature,  and  here  the  colored 
people  saw  most  of  deliberative  bodies,  and  heard  most  about 
their  needs  and  opportunities. 


Mrs    Dinah  Smith  Jordan,  Birmingham,  Ala. 


//.      THE  STATE  CONVENTIONS 


--       FIRST  SESSION. 

THE  Colored  Baptist  Convention  of  Alabama  was  consti- 
tuted December  17, 1868,  in  the  Columbus  Street  Baptist 
*  Church,  in  the  city  of  Montgomery. 

The  officers  elected  were :  Rev.  Nathan  Ashby,  president; 
;  Rev.  J.  W.  Stevens,  of  Montgomery,  vice-president,  and  Bro. 
H.  Thompson,  secretary.  - 

The  following  appear  in  the  roll  of  this  session  :  Revs.  N. 
Ashby,  J.  W.  Stevens,  Jacob  Belser,  J.  Epperson,  and  Bro.  H. 
Thompson,  of  Montgomery  county  ;  Revs.  E.  Wright  and  S. 
Adams,  of  Greenville;  Rev.  W.  Farris,  of  Monroeville;  Rev. 
S.  Weaver,  of  Dallas  county;  Revs.  P.  Gill  and  Samuel  Morse, 
of  Notasulga ;  James  Finly,  of  Fayette ;  Revs.  I.  Glenn 
and  A.  Blackburn,  of  Auburn  ;  Rev.  M.  D.  Alexander  and  M. 
Tyler,  of  Lowndesboro ;  Rev.  B.  Nelson,  of  Lee  county;  Rev. 
Mr.  Wood,  of  Macon  county ;  Rev.  H.  Coleman,  of  Union 
Springs;  Rev.  W.  H.  McAlpin,  of  Talladega;  Revs.  John 
Dosier  and  Henry  Stevens,  of  Uniontown ;  P.  Underwood, 
Thomas  Smith,  Ned  Atkinson,  and  Rev.  D.  M.  Phillips,  of 
Tuskegee.  * 

About  twenty-seven  churches  were  represented.  About 
$150  was  collected,  and  Rev.  Washington  Stevens  was  made 
Missionary. 

SECOND  SESSION. 

This  session  was  held  in  Montgomery  in  1869,  and  the 
officers  of  the  previous  year  being  re-elected  to  their  sevenil 


38  COLORED    BAPTISTS     OF     ALABAMA. 

positions.  Revs.  Wm.  McCoo,  of  Bullock  county  ;  P.  Murrell, 
of  Tuskaloosa;  John  P.  Lucas,  pastor  of  Mt.  Meigs;  Henry 
Clark,  of  Opelika;  B.  Burke,  of  Mobile;  Frank  Quarles,  of 
Georgia,  and  H.  E.  Talliaferro  (white),  agent  for  the  American 
Baptist  Home  Missionary  Society;  Lewis  Brown,  of  Sumter 
county;  A.  Cunningham,  of  Conecuh  county,  and  James 
Caldwell,  of  Marengo  county,  appear  in  the  roll  of  this  session. 
Fifty  or  sixty  churches  were  represented ;  several  hundred 
dollars  were  raised ;  the  missionary  was  short  in  his  collec- 
tions ;  Home  Mission  Society  was  endorsed. 

THIRD  SESSION. 

This  session  was  also  held  in  Montgomery  on  October  5, 
1870.  As  Rev.  N.  Ashby  was  sick,  Rev.  W.  Stevens,  the 
Missionary,  was  elected  president,  and  Rev.  M.  Tyler  vice- 
president.  Rev.  Charles  Leavens,  of  Mobile,  and  Senator  A. 
H.  Curtis  were  enrolled.  The  ordained  ministers  present 
were:  N.  Ashby,  James  A.  Foster,  W.  Stevens,  F.  Brooks,  T. 
Glenn,  Chas.  Leavens,  S.  Adams,  H.  Stokes,  C.  Blunt,  Wm. 
McCoo,  J.  Caldwell,  S.  Weaver,  J.  Cole,  J.  W.  McLeod,  M. 
Tyler,  B.  Burke,  P.  Murrell,  J.  Dosier,  D.  M.  Phillips,  J.  Wood, 
Ned  Watkins,  B.  Bibb,  H.  Stevens,  R.  Mason. 

FOURTH   SESSION. 

Held  in  Selma  November  1-4,  1871.  Brother  W.  H.  Mc- 
Alpine  was  prominent.  The  officers  elected  were :  Rev.  P. 
Murrell,  president;  Rev.  Stewart  Adams,  vice-president; 
Rev.  W.  Stevens,  recording  secretary;  and  H.  Thompson, 
clerk. 

Revs.  D.  Alexander,  B.  Bibb,  J.  Caldwell  and  J.  Belser 
have  passed  away. 


THE    STATE    CONVENTIONS.  39 

About  $300  sent  in  by  the  churches  :  twenty-eight  churches 
■    report  Sunday  Schools ;  three  Associations  appear  by  their 
messengers. 

FIFTH  SESSION. 

Held  in  Selma,  November,  1872.     Officers  of  previous 
•  year  re-elected.     A  committee  is  appointed  to  confer  with  the 
white  Convention  in  session  in  Eufaula.    Two  more  Associa- 
tions are  enrolled.     $300  or  $400  collected. 

SIXTH  SESSION. 


Held  in  Tuscaloosa,  November,  1873.  The  officers  elected 
were:     Rev.  J.  A.  Foster,  Montgomery,  president;  Rev.  M. 

■  Tyler,  Lowndesboro,  vice-president;  Rev.  P.  Murrell,  treas- 
urer; and  Bro.  H.  J.  Europe,  of  Mobile,  clerk.    Three  other 

%  Associations  reported.  Rev.  A.  Butler,  Mobile,  joined  at  this 
session.  Rev.  W.  H.  McAlpine  introduced  the  following, 
which  was  adopted : 

"  Jlesolced,  That  wre  plant  in  the  State  of  Alabama  a  the- 
ological school  to  educate  our  young  men." 

This  threw  life  and  aim  into  the  Convention  and  the  signs 
of  activity  immediately  appeared.  Four  other  Associations 
entered.  Lively  discussions  ensued.  The  white  Baptist  Con- 
vention assembled  in  the  same  city  at  the  same  time  advised 
against  the  educational  scheme.  The  question  whether  God 
needed  help  in  preparing  his  ministry — the  question  which 
fifty  years  before  had  agitated  the  white  Convention  of  Ala- 
bama— was  now  stirring  the  souls  of  black  men.  Sunday 
Schools  were  allowed  representation  in  the  body. 

SEVENTH   SESSION. 

Held  in  Mobile,  in  the  St.  Louis  Street  Church,  November, 
1874.    Officers    of  previous  year   were  re-elected.     Brother 


40  COLORED    BAPTISTS    OF    ALABAMA. 

McAlpine's  school  resolution  was  endorsed  and  ordered  on  the 
minutes.  On  motion  of  Brother  McAlpine  the  following  per- 
sons were  appointed  a  committee  to  manage  the  school  project : 
Revs.  A.  Butler,  W.  H.  McAlpine,  H.  J.  Europe,  H.  Thompson 
and  the  writer.  Brother  McAlpine  was  authorized  and  re- 
quested to  spend  six  months  as  missionary  and  agent  of  the 

Convention.     Much  praying. 
'If  . 

EIGHTH  SESSION. 

Held  in  Mobile,  November,  1875.  The  officers  elected 
were  as  follows :  Rev.  J.  A.  Foster,  president;  Rev.  M.Tyler, 
vice-president;  Rev.  J.  W.  Stevens,  corresponding  secretary; 
Rev.  Thomas  Smith,  treasurer,  and  Rev.  C.  0.  Boothe,  clerk. 
Ten  Associations  were  enrolled  this  year.  Brother  McAlpine 
reported  $90  in  favor  of  the  Convention  as  the  result  of  six 
months'  work.  The  body  was  never  so  much  aroused  as  during 
this  session.  Some  trouble  arose  over  contentions  among  the 
churches  in  Mobile.  Rev.  W.  H.  McAlpine  was  appointed 
missionary  and  agent  of  the  Convention  for  the  ensuing  con- 
ventional year.  Rev.  C.  O.  Boothe  was  appointed,  with  Brother 
McAlpine,  to  aid  in  searching  for  a  suitable  location  for  the 
proposed  school,  and  was  authorized  to  call  the  attention  of 
our  Northern  brethren  to  our  heeds  and  operations  regarding 
educational  facilities  in  Alabama.  Never  did  any  set  of  men 
appear  to  be  more  earnest  and  enthusiastic.  Every  eye  was 
on  McAlpine  as  the  leader. 

NINTH  SESSION. 

Held  with  the  Mount  Canaan  Church,  Talladega,  Novem- 
ber 15-20,  1876.  Officers:  Rev.  M.  Tyler,  president;  Rev.  B. 
J.  Burke,  vice  president;  Rev.  I.  Smith,  treasurer;  Rev.  G. 
C.  Casby,   Montgomery,   corresponding   secretary,  and   Rev. 


THE    STATE    CONVENTIONS.                                         41 
__ 

C.  O.  Boothe,  at  this  time  pastor  in  Talladega,  was  continued 
as  clerk. 

This  session  of  the  body  may  be  denominated  "The 
Eventful  Session."  Here  the  sainted  Woodsmall  was  met  for 
the  first  time,  and  bore  the  Convention  the  following: 

"Indianapolis,  Ind.,  November  11,  1876. 

"Dear  Brethren  of  the  Convention:  On  behalf  of  the 
Indiana  Baptist  State  Convention,  I  greet  you  with  "ftiis 
epistle,  bearing  their  congratulations  and  sympathy.  We  are 
engaged  in  a  common  cause  with  you — the  cause  of  our  blessed 
.  Lord  and  Master.  *  *  *  So  we  strike  glad  hands  with  you 
for  a  renewal^nd  continuance  of  the  gospel  warfare  till  Jesus 
comes." 

This  bore  the  signature  of  Dr.  Wyeth,  editor  of  the 
Journal  and  Messenger,  and  the  Secretary  of  the  Indiana  Con- 
vention. This  was  good  tidings,  and  the  information  that 
Brother  Woodsmall  had  come  to  hold  Ministers'  Institutes 
among  us  was  still  better  tidings.  Thenceforward  we  were  to 
drink  from  a  very  high  type  of  manhood. 

Revs.  W.  J.  White,  F.  Quarles,  and  Bryan,  of  Georgia, 
came  with   propositions  from  the  Georgia  Convention   that 
Alabama  should  give  up  her  school  project  and  join  Georgia 
"in  building  a  school  at  Atlanta. 

A  letter  received  from  Dr.  S.  S.  Cutting,  corresponding 
secretary  of  the  Home  Mission  Society,  to  the  clerk,  informed 
the  Convention  that  his  board  had  no  help  for  our  school  en- 
terprise in  Alabama,  and  favored  our  union  with  Georgia. 

A  communication  from  the  white  Baptist  Convention  con- 
taining the  following,  was  read  before  the  body  :  ■ 

"  Resolved,  That  we  deem  this  a  suitable  occasion  to  ex- 
press to  our  colored  brethren  an  abiding  interest  in  their  wel- 
fare, both  temporal  and  spiritual. 

"John  Haralson,  President." 


42  COLORED    BAPTISTS    OF    ALABAMA. 

Brother  Mc  Alpine  turned  over  $1,000,  which  he  had  raised 
for  the  proposed  school,  and  again  took  the  field. 

The  clerk,  as  committee  on  location  of  the  proposed 
school,  reported  that  if  the  school  should  be  located  at  Marion, 
Ala.,  our  students  could  obtain  scientific  and  literary  training 
in  the  State  school  at  that  point,  in  which  case,  the  Conven- 
tion would  only  be  obliged  to  furnish  theological  instruction. 
The  Convention  did  not  decide  as  to  the  course  it  would  be  best 
to  pursue.  Brothers  Pettiford  and  Barton  joined  the  work  in 
this  session,  and  the  former  took  a  prominent  position  at 
once. 

TENTH  SESSION. 

Held  in  Eufaula,  November,  1877.  The  officers  of  the 
last  convention  were  re-elected.  The  school  project  was 
turned  into  the  hands  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  elected  at  the 
session  of  1875.  The  report  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  recom- 
mended that  the  school  be  located  at  Montgomery.  When  a 
motion  by  Hon.  A.  H.  Curtis  to  substitute  Marion  had  been 
lost,  Rev.  E.  K.  Love,  of  Georgia,  moved  to  substitute  Selma, 
which  was  carried  by  a  majority  of  three.  The  Board  was 
authorized  and  instructed  to  begin  operations.  Revs.  W.  H. 
McAlpine  and  W.  J.  Stevens  were  put  out  as  missionaries. 
Before  leaving  Eufaula,  the  Board  appointed  a  committee  to 
act  on  their  behalf  with  regard  to  the  management  of  the 
school.  At  a  meeting  of  the  Board  held  in  Selma,  December  * 
20,  the  committee  reported  :  "  Your  committee  has  been  un- 
able to  find  a  suitable  house  for  rent  in  which  to  commence 
school  for  less  than  $27  per  month.  There  are  one  or  more 
buildings  here  that  may  be  purchased  at  quite  a  reasonable 
figure.   W.  H.  McAlpiEe,  J.  Blevins,  H.  Stevens,  committee." 

At  this  meeting  there  were  present  the  following  trustees, 
besides  those  above  mentioned:    M.  Tyler,  C.  Blunt,  J.  W. 


THE    STATE    CONVENTIONS.  43 

Stevens,  J.  Dosier  and  A.  H.  Curtis.  Revs.  W.  H.  McAlpine 
and  J.  Blevins,  with  Bro.  A.  H.  Curtis,  were  empowered  to  act 
as  Executive  Committee  of  the  Board.  After  some  discussion 
^as  to  whether  to  rent  or  purchase,  it  was  voted  to  rent,  and 
not  to  pay  over  $15  per  month.  The  Committee  was  so  in- 
structed, and  was  further  instructed  not  to  assume  over  $50 
per  month  for  teaching  force.  The  Committee  elected  Mr.  H. 
Woodsmall,  of  Indiana,  and  he  at  once  opened  the  school  in 
the  St.  Phillip  Street  Baptist  Church. 

On  May  30,  1878,  the  Board  held  another  meeting  in 
Selma.  Present:  Revs.  M.  Tyler,  J.  Blevins,  G.  C.  Casby, 
Thomas  Smith,  J.  Dosier,  H.  Stevens,  W.  H.  McAlpine  and 
C.  O.  Boothe.  At  this  meeting  the  Committee  were  author- 
ized to  purchase  the  "Old  Fair  Grounds"  for  $3,000.  The 
Baptist  Pioneer  was  started,  with  W.  H.  McAlpine,  editor;  J. 
Dosier  and  C.  O.  Boothe  as  assistants.  The  Committee,  to 
the  great  satisfaction  of  the  Board,  reported  that  the  St. 
Phillips  Street  Church  had  donated  to  the  school  the  use  of 
their  audience  room,  the  oil  for  lights,  and  fuel,  and  also  that 
the  services  of  Bro.  W.  R.  Pettiford  had  been  secured  at  a 
cost  of  $20  per  month,  allowing  him  time  to  take  lessons  in 
theology. 

The  following  financial  report  was  submitted : 

RECEIPTS. 

'   Dniontown  Association $150  00 

Alabama  District  Association 40  00 

Rev.  A.  Cunningham,  Conecuh  county 30  00 

Deacon  A.  Scott,  Montevallo 15  65 

Rev.  Thomas  Smith,  Treasurer  Convention 100  00 

Mr.  H.  Woodsmall,  for  tuition 82  10 

Rev.  W.  H.  McAlpine 20  00 

Donations  from  the  North  were  also  reported. 


44  COLORED  BAPTISTS  OF  ALABAMA. 


ELEVENTH  SESSION. 

Held  in  Marion,  November,  1878.  The  officers  of  the 
previous  year  were  re-elected,  with  the  exception  of  Rev.  C.  O. 
Boothe,  who  had  been  appointed  Sunday  school  missionary 
for  the  State,  under  the  American  Baptist  Publishing  Society. 
Bro.  N.  R.  Nickerson  was  elected  clerk. 

The  Trustees  reported  that  the  Old  Fair  Grounds  had 
been  secured,  and  that  the  school  was  in  operation.  One 
thousand  dollars  had  been  paid  on  the  grounds;  $545  had 
come  from  the  North.  Three  teachers  were  supported  with- 
out charge  to  the  State — Misses  Emma  Jordan  and  Emma 
Heustis,  and  Mr.  M.  W.  Alston. 

Thus  the  school  began.     About  $2,000  reported. 

TWELFTH  SESSION. 

Held  in  Opelika,  November  12-15,  lb79.  In  this  session 
Rev.  A.  F.  Owens  joined,  and  Revs.  A.  Butler  and  B.  Burke 
forsook  the  Convention.  Rev.  D.  M.  Phillips,  of  Tuskegee, 
had  left  the  cross  for  the  crown. 

The  second  61,000  had  been  paid  on  our  campus,  and  $700 
worth  of  improvements  had  been  added  to  the  buildings.  A  .J 
missionary  society  organized  by  President  Woodsmall  and 
operating  in  the  St.  Philip  Street  Church,  is  reported  as  giving 
partial  support  to  Profs.  Alston  and  Pettiford,  and  to  students 
D.  T.  Gulley  and  J.  C.  Curry. 

THIRTEENTH  SESSION. 

Held  in  Marion,  November  17-20,  1880.  The  officers 
elected  were  :  M.Tyler,  president;  J.  A.  Foster,  vice-presi- 
dent; N.  R.   Nickerson,  clerk;   G.  C.    Casby,  corresponding 


• 


Shiloh  Baptist  Church,  Birmingham,  Ala.,  Rev.  T.  W.  Walker,  Pastor. 


THE    STATE    CONVENTION'S.  45 

secretary,  and  C.  White,  treasurer.  Except  a  small  balance 
due  Brother  Woodsmall  the  school  was  now  free  from  debt, 
besides  owning  thirty-six  acres  of  land  and  temporary  buildings. 

Rev.  S.  Adams  had  gone  to  the  other  world. 

Aided  by  the  Selma  Missionary  Society,  Bros.  M.  W. 
Alston,  L.  Ellington,  D.  T.  Gulley,  D.  L.  Prentice,  C.  Travis, 
C.  R.  Rodgers,  L:  J.  Green  and  J.  0.  Curry  had  done  effective 
missionary  work. 

Brother  Woodsmall  reported  that  the  Baptist  Pioneer  is 
free  of  debt  and  has  $321.03  in  cash.  He  had  received  $2,399 — 
$899  had  come  from  Alabama  in  tuition  and  donations,  and 
$1,500  from  the  North. 

The  American  Baptist  Home  Mission  Society  at  this  time 
adopted  the  school  and  engaged  to  give  it  $2,000  during  its 
session  of  1880-81.  About  $400  were  spent  on  improvements 
of  school  grounds.  Rev.  Win,  A.  Burch,  late  of  Philadelphia, 
now  pastor  of  the  First  Baptist  Church  in  Selma,  and  Rev. 
W.  "W.  Cully,  a  returned  African  Missionary,  were  members 
of  this  Convention.  Brother  McAlpine  had  raised  from  all 
sources  $1,976.85.  Before  the  next  session  Brother  McAlpine, 
at  Brother  Woodsmall's  request,  became  president  of  the  school. 

FOURTEENTH  SESSION. 

Held  in  Mobile,  November,  1881.  The  officers  of  the 
previous  year  were  re-elected.  Revs.  A.  Cunningham,  Belle- 
ville, J.  Blevins,  Selma,  and  J.  Cole.  Montgomery,  are  no 
longer  on  earth. 

The  Home  Mission  Society  gave  $3,000  to  the  present 
school  session.  Dr.  M.  Stone,  of  Ohio,  taught  in  the  school 
without  cost  to  the  board  of  trustees. 

Before  the  next  session  Rev.  H.  N.  Bouey,  from  South 
Carolina,  became  State  Sunday  School  Missionary. 


46  COLORED  BAPTIST8  OF  ALABAMA. 

FIFTEENTH   SESSION. 

Held  in  Tuscaloosa,  November,  1882.  Former  officers  re- 
elected, except  that  Rev.  J.  Dosier  was  made  vice-president. 

This  year,  the  same  as  last,  Brother  McAlpine  was  re- 
tained president  of  the  school. 

Total  receipts  from  Alabama,  including  tuition  fees,  were 
$2,588.  Donation  from  Home  Mission  Society  $3,350.  The 
last  session  made  Brother  Pettiford  financial  agent,  and  the 
present  session  was  greatly  encouraged  in  view  of  his  excel- 
lent success. 

SIXTEENTH  SESSION. 
Held  in  Selma,  November,  1883,  in  the  First  Colored  Baptist 
Church,  of  which  the  writer  was  pastor.    Rev.  E.  M.  Brawley, 
late  of   South  Carolina,  was  made  president  of  our  school, 
Rev.  W.  H.  McAlpine  having  resigned  in  his  favor. 

Alabama  paid  $2,511  towards  our  educational  work. 
Bro.  Woodsmall  was  not  present.  Rev.  A.  N.  McEwen,  late  of 
Tensessee,  now  pastor  of  Dexter  Avenue  Church,  Mont- 
gomery, was  present  this  session.  Rev.  H.  N.  Bouey  was 
made  financial  agent. 

SEVENTEENTH  SESSION. 

Held  in  Mobile,  November,  1884.  Officers  of  1882  and 
1883  were  re-elected  ;  $3,224  reported  as  coming  from  the 
State. 

Before  the  next  session  "  The  Minister's  Union  "  was  or- 
ganized in  Talladega,  with  Rev.  C.  O.  Boothe  as  secretary,  and 
W.  H.  McAlpine,  president. 

EIGHTEENTH  SESSION. 
Held  in  the  Sixteenth   Street  Church,  Birmingham,  No- 
vember, 1885.     Officers  of  previous  session  re-elected.   On  the 
10th  of  November,  one  day  prior  to  the  sitting  of  the  Con- 


THE    STATE    CONVENTIONS.  47 

vention,  the  Ministers'  Union  met  and  appointed  a  committee 
on  the  character  of  the  author  of  this  pamphlet,  and  which 
reported  the  following : 

'«  We,  your  committee  appointed  on  Bro.  C.  O.  Boothe,  beg 
leave  to  submit  the  following  :  On  account  of  the  complications 
of  his  marriage  relations,  his  oppositions  to  the  State  work,  and 
on  account  of  his  want  of  loyalty  to  truth,  we  recommend  that 
we  withdraw  from  him  the  hand  of  fellowship  as  a  minister- 
C.  S.  Dinkins,  J.  Q.  A.  VVilhite,  J.  Dosier,  committee." 

The  brother,  who  was  excluded  (?)  by  the  adoption  of  this 
report,  asked  and  was  allowed  to  put  in  the  minutes  of  the 
Convention  the  following :  "  To  all  who  may  read  the  reso- 
lution passed  by  the  Alabama  Baptist  Ministers'  Union  bearing 
upon  me,  I  affirm  my  innocence  of  each  and  all  the  charges 
therein  presented,  and  appeal  to  the  King  of  Kings,  whose 
just  judgment  I  patiently  await.  C.  O.  Boothe." 

Dark  times  follow  upon  the  work  and  upon  many  individ- 
uals. The  total  receipts  for  this  year,  as  reported  by  Bro. 
Bouey,  were  $2,200.  Rev.  J.  P.  Barton  was  made  State  mis- 
sionary, and  Rev.  J.  Q.  A.  Wilhite  was  made  financial  agent  of 
the  school. 

The  school  was  getting  into  debt,  and  serious  losses 
threatened.  The  founders  of  the  work  were  not  sufficiently 
willing  to  confer  with  each  other. 

NINETEENTH  SESSION. 

Held  in  Opelika,  November,  1886.  The  same  officers  were 
re-elected,  except  Rev.  J.  A.  Foster  replaced  Rev.  John  Dosier 
as  vice-president.  Rev.  C.  L.  Puree  was  made  president  of 
the  school,  Dr.  Brawley  having  resigned.  The  school  was 
$6,000  or  $7,000  in  debt.  A  resolution  looking  toward  mov- 
ing the  University  from  Selma  was  adopted.  Marion  was 
proposed  instead  of  Selma,  and  the  larger  cash  donation  was 

I 


48  COLORED    BAPTISTS    OF    ALABAMA. 

to  fix  the  location.  The  contest  was  heated,  and  here  and 
there  rather  ugly.  The  Baptist  Leader  favored  Marion.  Fi- 
nances were  rather  short.  Revs.  G.  W.  Berry,  from  South 
Carolina,  and  E.  J.  Fisher,  of  Georgia,  were  present  at  this 
session. 

TWENTIETH  SESSION. 

Held  in  Montgomery,  in  the  Columbus  Street  Church, 
July,  1887.  The  Ministers'  Union  rescinded  their  vote  passed 
in  Birmingham  in  1885,  bearing  upon  the  character  of  Rev.  C. 
O.  Boothe.  Rev.  W.  R.  Pettiford,  of  Birmingham,  was  elected 
president,  and  Rev.  R.  T.  Pollard,  clerk.  Rev.  William  J. 
Simmons,  of  Louisville,  district  secretary  of  the  American 
Baptist  Home  Mission  Society,  and  Bro.  Woodsmall,  were 
present.  Mrs.  M.  A.  Boothe,  president  of  the  State  W.  C.  T.  U., 
addiessed  the  Convention.  Mrs.  C.  Thompson,  agent  in  Ala- 
bama for  the  Women's  Home  Missionary  Society  of  Chicago, 
also  spoke.  Stormy  time,  and  no  small  amount  of  bitter  feel- 
ing. The  financial  vote  sustained  Selma,  and  the  University 
remained  at  the  home  of  her  childhood. 

Debts  were  threatening  our  property.  Mr.  Puree  en- 
deavored tq  prevent  any  increase  of  debts. 

TWENTY-FIRST  SESSION. 

Held  in  Tuscaloosa,  July,  1888.  Officers  of  previous  year 
were  re  elected.  About  $4,000  was  raised  this  year.  Dr.  W. 
J.  Simmons,  district  secretary  of  the  Home  Mission  Society, 
was  present  with  plans  for  missionary  co-operation  with  our 
State,  which  were  endorsed.  Some  of  the  school  grounds  had 
been  sold  to  meet  debts,  six  acres  having  gone  to  meet  the 
£7,000. 

Rev.  W.  R.  Forbes,  of  Virginia,  pastor  atJEufaula,  was 


THE    STATE    CONVENTIONS.  49 

present.  The  board  recommended  Rev.  W.  H.  McAlpine  as 
State  Missionary  under  the  joint  plan  with  the  Home  Mission 
Society. 

twenty:second  session. 

Held  in  Selma,  July,  1889.  Officers  of  previous  session 
■were  re-elected.  Rev.  C.  S.  Dinkins,  having  severed  his  con- 
nection with  the  faculty  of  the  University,  was  successfully 
■  operating  an  academy  at  Marion  in  connection  with  his  pastor- 
ate. This  project  the  Convention,  on  motion  of  Rev.  A.  N. 
McEweu,  endorsed.  Rev.  C.  O.  Boothe  was  appointed  General 
Missionary  of  Alabama  on  the  joint  plan  with  the<Home 
Mission  Society.  This  year  our  women,  under  the  leadership 
of  Miss  S.  A.  Stone,  gloriously  rallied  to  the  support  of  the 
University.  About  $5,700  was  raised  in  the  State.  Rev. 
Washington  Stevens,  Montgomery,  and  Deacon  D.  Lane, 
Greensboro,  bad  passed  away.  Time  of  session  was  again 
changed  to  November.  Brethren  R.  T.  Pollard  and  D.  T. 
Gulley  made  Sunday  Missionaries  under  the  Publication 
Society  on  the  joint  plan.  During  this  year,  in  May,  a  jubilee 
meeting  was  held  in  Selma  and  over  $2,000  was  raised.  In 
this  jubilee  meeting  we  met  Rev.  H.  Stevens  the  last  time  on 
earth. 

TWENTY-THIRD  SESSION. 

Held  in  Sixth  Avenue  Church,  Birmingham,  November, 
1890.  The  officers  of  the  previous  session  and  all  the  mission- 
aries were  re-elected.  The  Home  Mission  Society  gave  about 
$6,000  to  Alabama,  including  62,600  given  for  University 
buildings.  The  financial  agent,  President  Puree,  and  the 
missionaries  all  made  very  encouraging  financial  reports — 
thousands  of  dollars  having  been  collected  ($5,400).  Dr.  W. 
J.  Simmons  and  Rev.  Henry  Stevens  crossed  the  dark  river 
this  year.     Drs.  Clanton  and  Brawley  were  present.     This  was 

s 


50  COLORED  BAPTISTS  OF  ALABAMA. 

a  good  session — debts  fast  disappearing  under  the  industrious 
and  wise  financiering  of  President  Puree  and  Agent  Wilhite. 
The  missionaries  were  continued. 

The  Baptist  Leader  (once  The  Baptist  Pioneer),  which  for 
several  years  had  been  successfully  run  by  Editor  McEwen," 
was  continued  under  its  old  management. 

This  year,  in  July,  a  Baptist  Congress  was  held  in  Mont- 
gomery in  the  Dexter  Avenue  Church.  It  was  entertaining 
and  instructive.  Also  in  August  a  State  Sunday  School  Con- 
vention was  organized  in  Union  Springs,  with  Rev.  S.  Jones 
as  president,  and  is  still  doing  a  grand  work,  Brother  Wells 
being  still  presiding  officer. 

TWENTY-FOURTH  SESSION. 

Held  in  Peace  Baptist  Church,  Talladega,  November,  1891. 
The  same  officers  were  re-elected,  and  also  the  same  mission- 
aries, except  that  Rev.  C.  R.  Rodgers  was  chosen  to  fill  the 
place  made  vacant  by  Bro.  Pollard's  resignation.  A  grand, 
session — never  before  in  our  history  had  our  business  seemed 
to  be  so  much  in  the  hands  and  hearts  of  wise,  cultivated  men 
and  women.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Parks  and  Hon.  James  White,  of 
Chattanooga,  were  with  us.  The  mayor  of  Talladega,  pastors 
of  white  churches,  and  everybody  else,  gave  us  a  word  of  en- 
couragement and  expressed  themselves  as  pleased  and  profited 
by  our  presence.  Prof.  Peterson,  a  recent  member  of  the  fac- 
ulty of  Selma  University,  was  introduced  to  Alabama  Baptists. 
One  hundred  and  fifty  churches  and  forty  associations,  besides 
Sunday  school  conventions  and  Sunday  schools,  were  repre- 
sented by  two  hundred  messengers.  The  year's  income  from 
all  sources  was  reported  by  financial  agents  as  footing  up  to 
$12,440.  Statistical  secretary  reported  as  follows:  "Seven 
hundred  and  eighteen  churches  and  fifty-eight  associations. 

- 


THE    STATE    CONVENTIONS.  51 

1 



Twenty-eight  of  the  associations  give  an  aggregate  member- 
ship of  83,000.  Thirty  associations  have  failed  to  report  their 
numbers." 

Dr.  C.  S.  Dinkins  had  been  operating  an  academy  at  Ma- 
"^rion,  for  the  use  of  which  he  had  paid  $1,000.  Our  school 
property  increased  in  value  from  $3,000  to  $30,000.  The  pres- 
ident of  our  Convention,  TV.  R.  Pettiford,  was  at  this  time 
president  of  a  successful  banking  enterprise.  Last,  and  per- 
haps least,  one  of  our  number  had  made  an  humble  contribu- 
tion to  the  literature  of  the  denomination  in  the  form  of  a 
little  book  entitled  '■'■Plain  Theology  for  Plain  People"  Thus 
had  we  grown  in  twenty -four  years. 

Before  the  next  session  Dr.  McAlpine  was  made  teacher 
of  institutes,  under  the  Southern  Board. 

TWENTY-FIFTH  SESSION. 

Held  in  Franklyn  Street  Church,  Mobile,  November,  1892. 
*Dr.  Dinkins  was  elected  president,  and  Rev.  J.  P.  Barton,  vice- 
president.  With  these  exceptions,  the  old  officers,  as  well  as 
missionaries,  were  continued.  Editor  W.  H.  Stewart,  of  Ken- 
tucky; Dr.  Clanton,  of  Louisiana;  the  Rev.  Mr.  Luke,  field 
secretary  of  the  Foreign  Mission  Convention ;  Revs.  T.  L. 
Jordan  and  C.  L.  Fisher,  of  Mississippi,  were  present.  For 
the  most  part,  this  was  a  good  session.  However,  there  were 
signs  of  a  rising  stormcloud,  which,  it  was.  feared,  foretold 
approaching  evil;  and  perhaps  a  clogging  of  our  educational 
and  missionary  operations  would  jthen  soon  come.  A  good 
money  showing  was  made,  and  new  financial  plans  were 
adopted.  Dr.  Pettiford  was  appointed  financial  agent  and 
secretary.  It  was  decided  to  attempt  to  establish  two  acade- 
mies— one  in  Mobile  and  the  other  somewhere  in  Northern 
Alabama.     Before  the  next  session  of  the  Convention,  Rev.  C. 


52  COLORED  BAPTISTS  OF  ALABAMA. 

O.  Boothe  resigned  his  position  as  general  missionary  of  the 
State  and  pastor  at  Meridian,  Miss.  Dr.  Puree  severed  his 
connection  with  the  University,  and  Dr.  C.  S.  Dinkins  was 
elected  president  in  his  stead.  A  division  of  the  denomination 
was  threatened  in  consequence  of  the  presidential  changes. 
Again  our  debts  were  beginning  to  be  a  menace. 

TWENTY-SIXTH  SESSION. 

Held  in  Eufaula,  November,  1893.  Rev.  J.  P.  Barton,  of 
Talladega,  was  elected  president,  and  Rev.  R.  T.  Pollard,  sec- 
retary. Hon.  Ad.  Wimbs,  of  Greensboro,  was  a  member  of 
this  Convention.  Drs.  Morehouse  and  Mc Vicar,  of  New  York, 
were  with  us ;  also  Dr.  Crumpton,  who  represented  the  South- 
ern Baptists.  Many  changes  were  made  upon  the  Board  of 
Trustees.  A  committee  was  appointed  to  plan  a  change  in 
our  school  charter.  The  session  was  stormy  and  far  from 
pleasant.  Dr.  Pettiford  made  a  good  financial  report.  Rev. 
S.  L.  Ross  was  Sunday  school  missionary.  Dr.  Dinkins  made 
a  good  beginning  as  president  of  Selma  University.  Rev. 
Lewis  Brown  was  elected  treasurer. 

TWENTY-SEVENTH  SESSION. 

Held  in  Mt.  Zion  Church,  Anniston,  Ala.,  November, 
1894.  Rev.  J.  P.  Barton  was  again  elected  president,  and 
Rev.  R.  T.  Pollard  continued  as  secretary.  Times  peculiar 
and  money  scarce.  President  Dinkins  had  prevented  any 
increase  of  the  debt  of  the  university,  and  continued  to  grow 
in  favor  with  all  sections.  The  session,  however,  was  not  so 
orderly  as  it  might  have  been,  if  there  had  been  less  personal 
feeling  and  ambition,  and  more  real  humility  and  consecra- 
tion. 


THE    STATE    CONVENTIONS.  53 


COMPARISONS. 

True,  our  white  brethren  were  hindered  by  the  wild 
forests,  which  were  pathless  and  bridgeless,  fieldless  and  crib- 
less,  and  by  the  savage  beasts  and  friendless  red  men,  as  well 
as  by  the  slowness  of  travel,  but  after  all,  we  may  be  per- 
mitted to  compare  our  progress  with  our  white  brethrens' 
struggles  on  educational  and  missionary  lines  ;  and  I  think 
the  foe  will  feel  more  hopeful  of  us,  while  the  friend  will  see 
reason  for  encouragement  and  pleasure.  The  white  Conven- 
tion organized  in  Salem  Church,  near  Greensboro,  in  October, 
1823,  but  they  did  not  begin  a  school  till  1834 — eleven  years. 
We  organized  in  1868  and  started  a  school  in  1878 — ten  years. 
Their  school  continued  only  about  five  years,  when  their 
property  was  sold  to  pay  their  school  debts.  Our  school  still 
continues  at  this  writing — 1895.  In  1839,  they  passed  a  reso- 
lution to  encourage  young  men  to  study  for  the  ministry  un- 
der capable  pastors,  and  the  money  of  the  Convention  was  or- 
dered to  be  paid  out  in  support  of  operations  on  this  line. 

They  now  owe  on  Howard  College,  so  I  am  informed, 
some  £30,000  or  640,000  in  the  form  of  a  bonded  debt,  the 
interest  on  which  they  find  it  hard  to  pay.  Indeed,  I  very 
much  regret  to  hear  that  they  are  thinking  of  making  an  as- 
signment in  the  interest  of  their  creditors.  On  careful  ex- 
amination of  the  records  of  the  Convention,  we  come  upon  the 
following:  important  facts  and  lessons  : 

1.      The  blindness  of  the  leadership  as  to  the  rcork  to  be  done. 

In  the  jubilee  meeting,  Rev.  H.  Stevens,  said  :  "When  I 
resolved  in  1868  to  meet  the  call  of  the  Montgomery  Church 
for  a  Convention  of  delegates,  I  didn't  see  what  we  could  do. 
I  went  only  out  of  some  sort  of  curiosity  to  meet  other  breth- 
ren and  to  look  on.  I  got  a  little  light  before  I  reached  Mont- 
gomery, as  I  listened  to  some  things  Brother  McAlpine  had  to 


54  COLORED    BAPTISTS    OF    ALABAMA. 

say  along  the  way.  And  I  was  not  much  better  off  when  the 
Convention  closed.  I  did  not  know  what  they  were  talking 
about  one-half  the  time."  But  few  saw  one  inch  ahead.  The 
horizon  increased  only  as  we  advanced.  We  grew  up  with  the 
growth  of  the  work. 

2.  The  power  of  faith  to  give  form  and  fixedness  to  pon- 
derous enterprises. 

We  vacillated  till  Brother  Woodsmall  appeared,  so  far  at 
least  as  our  school  project  was  concerned.  As  the  queen  bee 
draws  together  her  wandering  swarm  and  fixes  them  in  set- 
tled habitation  and  orderly  toil,  so  did  this  saintly  man  do  for 
the  colored  Baptists  of  Alabama.  And  his  spirit  is  still 
among  us.  ~~7*:*jt 

3.  Progress  is  born  of  progress. 

Because  we  gained  one  step,  we  gained  another  step.  Be- 
cause we  made  it  to  the  top  of  one  mountain,  we  could  there- 
fore make  it  to  the  top  of  another. 


///.     ASSOCIATIONS, 

[Under  this  head  appear  many  points  and  facts  of  local  interest.] 


ALABAMA  DISTRICT. 

THIS  District  was  organized  in  1869  by  Revs.  N.  Ashby,  M. 
Tyler,  W.  Stevens,  J.  A.  Fjpster,  -Wnf.  Jenkins  and-other 
leading  men  of  Montgomery  and' Lowndes  counties.  From 
their  birth  to  this  time,  as  an  Association,  they  have  been 

leaders  in  missionary  and  educational  operations. 

* 
- 

LEADING    ME.V. 

Among  the  leading  men  of  this  body  we  may  mention  : 
Rev.  M.  Tyler,  Lowndesboro;  Revs.  R.  T.  Pollard,  M.  D. 
Brooks,  E.  W.  Picket,  A.  Moore,  G.  McKinney,  A.  Campbell, 
and  D.  Ware,  Montgomery  ;  Revs.  M.  C.  Mexrell,  James  Davis, 
and  A.  J.  Knight,  Fort  Deposit;  Revs.  P.  Gilchrist  and  B. 
Moss,  Hayneville:  Revs.  C.  H.  Payne,  S.  M.  Reeves,  and  C.  P. 
Cain,  Letohatchie;  Revs.  J.  H.  Smith  and  E.  Elias,  Tallassee  ; 
Revs.  E.  W.  Jones,  M.  Snowdon,  L.  Barnett,  A.  Dansey,  M.  C. 
Williams,  L.  Calvary,  D.  Hall,  J.  Morris,  H.  W.  Tarrant,  W. 
Harris,  D.  S.  Adams,  M.  E.  Pleasant,  postoffice  unknown. 

They  report  about  12,000  members.  Their  annual  dona- 
tion for  general  purposes  averages  £300  or  £400.  This  body 
contributed  largely  toward  the  purchase  of  our  school  property, 
and  now  liberally  supports  the  school.  Rev.  S.  Jones,  Mt. 
Meigs,  is  a  strong  man  in  this  Association,  and  no  man  in 
Alabama  has  done  more  for  the  education  of  his  parishioners 
than  he.     Rev.  J.  C.  Curry,  also  of  Mt.  Meigs,  is  one  of  their 


** 


Rev.  F.  R.  Kennedy,  Pastor  Galilee  Baptist  Church,  Anniston,  Ala. 


ASSOCIATIONS.  57 

most  scholarly  men  and  most  able  preachers.    They  talk  of 
t  dividing  into  two  bodies,  hoping  thereby  to  accomplish  more 

for  the  furtherance  of  the  gospel. 
| 

ALABAMA    MIDLAND    ASSOCIATION. 

Organized  in  1889,  is  a  small  body  operating  chiefly  in 
Montgomery  county.    They  report  six  churches.     Could  not 
I  ascertain  the  membership. 

Revs.  B.  Bible,  B.  Coles,  "W.  Harrison  and  T.  L.  Lewis  lead 
them.    I  submit  the  following  as  good  supplementary  matter 
I  to  what  has  been  said  of  the  above  Associations  : 

MONTGOMERY. 

THE    FIRST    COLORED    BAPTIST    CHURCH 

"Was  organized  in  the  basement  of  the  white  Baptist 
Church  (First  Baptist  Church)  just  after  the  close  of  the  war. 
The  corner  stone  of  their  present  building  on  Columbus  street 
was  laid  in  1867.  Their  first  pastor  was  the  late  Rev.  Nathan 
Ashby,  who,  prior  to  the  war,  had  preached  to  the  colored 
membership  on  Sundays  in  the  afternoon,  in  the  basement  of 
the  white  church.  Mr.  Ashby  being  stricken  down  by  paralysis, 
closed  his  pastorate  in  1870.  Under  his  pastorate  this  church 
issued  the  call  for  the  first  session  of  the  State  Convention  in 
1868;  hence  this  church  is  the  source — the  mother — of  our 
Convention. 

For  a  few  months  the  Rev.  J.  W.  Stevens  supplied  the 
pulpit. 

In  1871  the  late  Rev.  James  H.  Foster  was  called  to  the 
pastoral  office,  which  he  served  for  the  space  of  twenty  years, 
leaving  it  only  to  answer  the  summons  of  his  Master  to  appear 
in  purer  and  higher  spheres.  Under  his  administration  the 
church  increased  its   membership   from  a  few  hundred  to 


58  COLORED    BAPTISTS    OF    ALABAMA. 

several  thousand.  He  expended  some  $10,000  or  $1*2,000  on. 
the  present  edifice.  Under  his  pastorate  the  Foreign  Mission 
Convention  was  organized  in  1880. 

After  Mr.  Foster's  death,  December  1,  1891,  Rev.  A.  J. 
Stokes,  then  pastor  at  Fernandina,  Fla.,  was  called  to  their 
pulpit,  and  now  serves  with  great  success,  haviDg  added  within 
the  last  two  months  about  500  by  baptism.  So  far,  his  success 
is  a  wonder  to  the  people  of  Montgomery.  The  special  item 
under  his  administration  is  the  organization  of  the  young 
people  for  training  and  work. 

Old  Brother  Boykin  (about  85  years  old)  in  speaking  of 
the  work  about  Montgomery,  said  :  "  The  first  colored  preacher 
I  saw  after  coming  from  Charleston,  was  Bro.  Cyrus  Hale.  He 
came  from  South  Carolina.  He  was  an  old  man  when  I  first 
met  him.  He  was  well  read,  was  a  good  preacher,  and  the 
white  people  'lowed  him  to  go  anywhere  there  was  a  call  for 
him.  »He  was  the  father  of  the  work  in  this  section.  Follow- 
ing him,  was  Bro.  Jacob  Belser,  and  then  came  Bro.  Nathan 
Ashby.  Brother  Hale  must  have  been  ordained,  for  he  used 
to  baptize  in  slavery  time. 

While  we  were  worshiping  in  the  white  church,  we  had 
some  'sistant  deacons — Bros.  Fayette  Vandeville,  Jerry  Fye, 
Peter  Miles  and  Abe  Blackshear." 

Rev.  William  Jenkins  relates  the  following :  "  I  was  born 
in  Montgomery  in  1835,  and  have  been  here  every  since.  I 
began  to  speak  in  public  in  1852,  and  continued  to  speak  in 
'the  city  and  on  neighboring  plantations  all  the  while.  I  was 
(allowed  to  read  the  Bible,  but  I  had  rather  been  caught  with  a 
hog  than  with  a  newspaper  ;  because,  for  the  hog,  I  was  likely 
to  get  a  whipping ;  but  for  the  newspaper  I  might  get  a  hang- 
ing. And  there  was  some  faith  them  times.  On  a  planta- 
tion out  here  where  I  used  to  preach,  there  was  a  balloon  com- 
ing down  one  day.      The  overseer  and  the  people  saw  it,  and 


ASSOCIATIONS.  59 

BE? 

^ts  that  was  a  new  thing  with  them,  it  frightened  them,  and 
-everybody  fled  except  one  brother,  who,  on  seeing  the  man  in 
'the  balloon,  and  believing  that  it  was  the  Lord,  ran  towards 
the  descending  balloon,  exclaiming  as  he  looked  up  :  '  Lord, 
I  I's  been  looking  for  you  for  so  long  a  time,  and  now  you's 
come  at  last ! '  The  balloon  man  said  :  '  Go  away,  boy  ;  I'm 
|  nothing  but  a  man.' " 

Montgomery  is  no  longer  what  it  was  when,  thirty  years 
ago,  Bro.  Ashby  spoke  in  the  afternoon  in  the  basement  of  the 
•■white  church.  Six  colored  Baptist  churches  now  worship 
within  the  city  and  suburbs  of  Montgomery.  The  edifice  of 
j  Dexter  Avenue  Church,  standing  near  the  first  capital  of  the 
ex-Confederacy,  is  one  of  the  most  substantial  and  neat  brick 
structures  in  the  city,  and  the  congregation  which  worships 
therein  are  people  of  money  and  refinement.  Messrs.  H.  A. 
Loveless,  the  coal  dealer,  William  Watkins,  the  contractor, 
and  Charles  Steers,  the  upholsterer,  are  owners  and  managers 
of  large  affairs,  involving  thousands  of  dollars. 

The  colored  people  of  this  city  own  many  hundred  thou- 
sand dollars  in  real  estate.  Mr.  Billingslea,  the  barber,  is  said 
to  own  ?300,000.  Dr.  Dorsett  runs  a  successful  drug  busi- 
ness in  one  of  the  lower  departments  of  a  two-story  brick 
building  owned  by  himself.  The  widow  of*  the  late  Hon. 
James  Hale  has  built  and  is  maintaining  an  infirmary  for  the 
sick  poor  people  of  her  race. 

Contrast  this  state  of  things  with  thirty  years  ago.  when 
the  colored  people,  like  "dumb  driven  cattle"  before  hound 
and  lash,  wended  their  way  in  the  "death  march  "  of  slavery, 
and  ask  if  the  negro  of  to-day  is  the  negro  of  thirty  years 
years  ago.  There  is  on  Dexter  avenue,  in  the  city  of  Mont- 
,  gomery,  an  old  brick  building  wherein  the  "  negro  trader " 

used  to  pen  his  slaves  to  await  his  purchasers.     Herein  the 
I 


60  COLORED    BAPTISTS    OF    ALABAMA. 

writer  organized  the  Dexter  Avenue  Church.  Compare  the 
occupants  of  the  slave  pen  with  the  audience  in  Dexter  Avenue 
Church. 

DEXTER  AVENUE  CHURCH. 

This  church  is  a  secession   from   the   Columbus  Street 
Church,  occurring  in  the  latter  part  of  the  year  1877.     Its 
first  meeting,  with  a  view  to  organization,  took  place  in  the 
parlor  of  Mr.  Samuel  Phillips.     The  chief  persons  in  the  con- 
stitutional membership  were  Messrs.  Samuel  Phillips,  John 
Phillips,  Alfred  Thomas  (the  father  of  Mrs.  S.  H.  Wright),  C. 
Sterrs,  William  Watkins  and  II.  A.  Loveless.     The  meeting 
for  the  recognition  of  the  church  was  held  in  a  hall  on  Dexter 
l  avenue,  January,  1878,  which  in  former  days  had  been  used 
Sas  a  slave  trader's  pen.     Dr.  J.  B.  Hawthorne,  pastor  of  the 
\First  Church  (White),  with  his  deacons,  represented  the  white 
/brethren,  and  Rev.  J.  A.  Foster,  pastor  of  the  Columbus  Street 
/Church,  represented  his  church. 

(  The  writer  was  the  first  pastor,  but  owing  to  embarrass- 

ments which  soon  followed,  he  did  not  remain  long  in  charge 
of  the  work.  Revs.  J.  W.  Stevens,  F.  McDonald,  J.  C.  Curry, 
A.  F.  Owens,  T.  Fryerson,  A.  N.  McEwen,  Dr.  Langridge,  and 
others  followed  in  the  pastoral  charge.  The  progress  of  the 
church  was  rather  slow  till  the  time  of  Mr.  McEwen,  under 
whom  their  present  beautiful  building  was  erected.  The 
present  pastor,  Rev.  R.  T.  Pollard,  seems  to  be  appointed  the 
task  of  leading  not  so  much  on  lines  of  material  development 
as  in  lines  of  spiritual  growth.  Many  other  good  and  pious  i 
persons  have  been  added  to  their  number,  so  that  no  church  ■} 
in  the  State  can  now  boast  of  a  people  more  thrifty,  aspiring 
and  refined. 

AUBURN  ASSOCIATION. 

Organized  in  1870  by  Revs.  T.  Glenn,  D.  Phillips,  I.  M. 
Pollard  and  others.     This  body  operates  chiefly  in  Lee,  Macon 


ASSOCIATIONS.  61 


and  Tallapoosa  counties.  In  the  beginning  of  Selma  University 
they  contributed  largely  toward  its  establishment,  and  have 
since  given  it  liberal  support.  Lately,  however,  they  are 
struggling,  under  the  leadership  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wells,  to 
plant  a  school  in  Opelika.     They  number  about  8,000  members. 

LEADING    MEN. 

.  Revs.  Glenn  and  Phillips  have  left  the  cross  for  the  crown. 
Among  the  present  leadership  we  have  the  names  of  Revs.  J. 
R.  Howard,  M.  M.  Archer,  A.  Walton,  K.  T.  Young,  T.  N. 
Huguely,  J.  Wood,  G.  Germany,  H.  Clark,  A.  M.  McArthur,  G. 
Moore,  H.  Jones,  J.  Thomas,  J.  T.  Torbert,  E.  L.  Goer,  M.  M. 
Ross,  E.  White,  E.  L.  Simms,  F.  T.  Holmes,  D.  TJpshaw,  C. 
Young,  E.  Cain,  R.  Burton,  J.  David,  P.  Davis.  Rev.  I.  T. 
Simpson,  one  of  the  strongest  men  in  the  State,  is  now  in  this 
body  as  pastor  at  Opelika. 

The  school  project  in  Opelika  speaks  well  of  its  supporters 
and  deserves  to  succeed.  May  God  bring  them  in  the  path  of 
success.  The  writer  regrets  to  record  that  he  saw  something 
at  one  session  of  this  body  that  was  by  no  means  creditable  to 
it.  It  was  this  selling  business.  The  grounds  about  the 
church  were  almost  covered  with  cake  stands,  etc.,  and  the 
sermons  could  scarcely  be  heard  for  the  noise  made  by  the 
salesmen.  Associations  ought  not  to  meet  with  any  church 
which  does  not  pledge  itself  to  keep  such  off  the  grounds. 
The  Associations  of  our  white  brethren  are  not  troubled  with 
such  ugly  conduct.  The  communities  in  which  religious 
bodies  convene  should  do  all  in  their  power  to  bring  about  the 
devotional  spirit,  the  spirit  of  sincere  worship. 


62  COLORED    BAPTISTS     OF     ALABAMA. 

AUTAUGA  COUNTY  ASSOCIATION. 

Organized  in  1882,  reports  about  2,000  members. 

LEADING    MEN. 

Jones'  Switch  Post  Office — Eev.  M.  Clark. 

Milton — M.  Underwood,  J.  C.  Parker,  D.  Love,  H.  Taylor. 

Independence — William  Mims. 

Prattville — William  McLinn.  m 

Verbena — C.  Price,  P.  Dejarnet,  D.  Gresham. 

Birmingham — E.  Goodson. 

Deatville — A.  C.  Roundtree,  A.  J.  Jones. 

Autaugdville — E.  Nun. 

Bozeman — J.  H.  Brumby. 

Messrs.  J.  Coles,  W.  Cooper  and  J.  W.  Carroll  have  served 
as  clerks.  They,  too,  are  recorded  as  contributing  for  educa- 
tional purposes. 

BETHLEHEM  ASSOCIATION. 

This  association  was  organized  in  1868,  and  has  given 
more  students  to  Selma  University  than  any  other  association 
in  the  State,  nor  has  any  other  been  more  liberal  in  its  gifts 
of  money.  A  calculation  would,  perhaps,  show  that  they  had 
not  paid  so  much  as  the  Alabama  District  and  the  Union- 
town,  but  it  will  be  remembered  that  those  are  the  giant  asso- 
ciations, having  10,000  or  12,000  members,  while  this  bcdy  has 
not  more  than  6,000.  Rev.  C.  Roberts,  one  of  the  founders  of 
this  body,  in  his  opening  speech  before  the  session  of  1892, 
said  :  "  When  we  began,  not  one  among  us  could  write.  We 
organized  in  Tuscaloosa,  and  when  the  work  was  done,  it 
seemed  so  insignificant  an  idea  that  ice  had  attempted  to  con- 
stitute and  operate  an  association  that  it  took  us  two  days  to 
accept  and  recognize  what  we  had  done.  But  see  what  we  are 
now,  and  what  we  have  done  !  Of  our  own  sons  and  daugh- 
ters, we  have  with  us  to-day   teachers  of  the  State  schools, 


ASSOCIATIONS.  63 


teachers  in  universities,  teachers  of  music,  persons  of  charac- 
[  ter  and  of  learning.  I  never  in  my  life,  thought  I  would  see 
so  much  education  in  black  people."  The  "  Jones  Creek 
Church,"  the  church  with  which  the  association  had  convened 
in  the  above  named  session,  was  the  name  borne  by  the  white 
church  organized  about  1830,  which  long  ago  had  become  ex- 
tinct. Rev.  L.  Brown,  who  now  owns  a  good  part  of  his  old 
master's  plantation,  presided  at  this  session,  and  Rev.  I.  Daw- 
,    son  was  clerk. 

Their  minutes  give  the  following  churches  and  ministers  : 

Sherman  Post  Office — Galilee,  Antioch,  Little  Zion,  Mount 
Tabor.  „ 

Warsaw — Mount  Pleasant,  Union  Grove. 

Cataba — Christian   Valley,  Friendship,  Mt.  Tabor,    Mt. 
Pleasant. 

Whitfield—  Eben  ezer. 

Boligee—Mt.  Zion,  Bethlehem,  St.  Paul,  St.  James.  Mt. 
Olive. 

Eutaw — Elizabeth,  Eutaw,  Zion,  Friendship. 

Ramsey — St.  Mark,  Dowsey,  Mary  Winston,  Jerusalem, 
Livingston,  Shiloh,  Pine  Grove,  New  Prospect. 

Sumpterville — Sumpterville,  Mt.  Zion. 

Mt.  Hebron — Mt.  Zion,  St.  John. 

Ydanna — New  Providence. 

York  Station — Rock  Chapel,  York  Chapel,  Mt.  Harmon. 

CurVs  Station — Mt.  Zion,  Fourth  Creek. 

Gaston — Friendship. 

West  Green—  Pleasant  Valley. 

Tishabee — Christian  Valley,  Little  Zion. 

Gainsville — Gainsville    Second,   New   Bethel,   Longford, 
Spring  Valley,  Gainsville. 

Epes  Station— New  Hope,  Jones  Creek,  Miller's  Hill. 

Clinton.— Mt.  Common. 


64  COLORED  BAPTISTS  OF  ALABAMA. 


LEADING  MEN. 

Revs.  G.  Young,  T.  Grant,  G.  Lowe,  J.  S.  JBoatright,  I 
Dawson,  L.  Brown,  C.  Roberts,  E.  Grant. 

There  are  other  strong  men  among  them  whose  names  I 
could  not  obtain. 

Rev.  Daniel  Griffin,  pastor  at  Gainsville,  has  especially 
commended  himself  for  his  studiousness,  spotless  name,  and 
earnest  work.  Many  of  our  best  young  men,  teachers  and 
preachers,  come  of  this  association. 

BIBB  COUNTY  ASSOCIATION. 

Organized  in  1885,  report  a  membership  of  about  3,000. 
The  post  offices  of  their  several  churches  are  given  as  follows  : 
Calera,  Jemison,  Strasburg,  Lomax,  Claytou,  Shiloh,  Randolph, 
Traveler's  Rest,  Maplesville,  Briarfield,  and  Ashley. 

LEADING    MEN. 

The  list  which  the  writer  found  was  not  full,  but  we  have 
the  following:  Revs.  H.  Zimmerman,  Clanton  ;  H.  E.  Doake 
and  A.  Thomas,  Calera ;  C.  Gentry,  Randolph.  I  am  informed 
that  Revs.  J.  R.  Scott,  J.  S.  Printice,  J.  W.  Witherspoon  and 
W.  T.  Goodson  are  also  members  of  this  body. 

BLADEN  SPRINGS  ASSOCIATION. 
Organized  in  1876,  reports  about  2,000  members. 

POST   OFFICES    OF    CHURCHES. 

Bladen  Springs,  Cunningham,  West  Bend,  Rescueville, 
Coffeeville,  Dead  Level,  Mt.  Sterling,  Frankville,  Ararat, 
Campbell,  St.  Stevens. 

LEADING    MEN. 

Revs.  C.  Long,  of  Bladen  Springs,  P.  D.  Alford,  of  Cun- 
ningham;  R.  Lewis,  F.  White,  R.  Whitley,  O:  S.  Yorke,  J. 


ASSOCIATIONS.  65 

"VVhigman,  B.  White,  E.  A.  Reed,  B.  Woodson,  A.  S.  Cessions, 

C.  L.  Davis,  and  L.  W.  Morris.    The  writer  baptized  Rev.  P. 

p.  Alford  about  twenty-five  years  ago,  while  doing  mission 

work  in  Mississippi. 

Rev.  Charles  Long  was  one  of  the  first  colored  men  to  begin 
l  teaching  and  preaching  after  the  war.    He  stands  as  an  honest 
.  business  man,  as  well  as  preacher  of  the  gospel. 

BROWNVILLE  ASSOCIATION. 

Organized  in  1883,  is  a  small  body  composed  of  about 
I  twenty  churches,  which    have   the    following    post  offices : 
I  Phenix  City,  Gerard,  Motts,  Columbus,  Ga.,  Hatchechubbee, 
Ladonia,  Crawford,  Uchee. 

OFFICERS    LAST    REPORTED. 

Mqderator — Rev.  L.  D.  Harris,  Gerard. 
Cleric—  Rev.  J.  F.  Torbert,  Hatchechubbee. 
Treasurer — Bro.  H.  Dixon,  Phenix  City. 
They  number  about  2,000  members. 

CANAAN  (PICKEXSVILLE)  ASSOCIATION. 

Organized  in  1876,  is  operating  chiefly  in  Fayette  county. 
The  writer  cannot  give  their  membership,  but  they  report 
eighteen  or  twenty  churches. 

LEADING    MEN. 

Revs.  G.  H.  Prewett,  W.  Bozelle,  J.  P.  Neal,  J.  M.  Maddox, 
S.  Clements,  G.  "W.  Brent,  A.  G.  Johnson,  J.  H.  Evey,  I.  Bizzell, 
L.  W.  Bridges,  R.  L.  Gorden,  L.  Neal,  A.  B.  Richardson. 

Revs.  J.  M.  Maddox  and  J.  W.  Glasscox  seem  to  be  at 
least  the  peers  of  any  in  their  ranks. 


Mrs.  M.  D.  Duncan,  Principal  Female  Academy,  Demopolis,  Ala. 


ASSOCIATIONS.  67 

THE  COLORED  BETHLEHEM  ASSOCIATION. 

Organized  in  1871,  reports  about  3,500  members.     This  is 
the  body  so  long  guided  by  the  late  Rev.  Armstead  Cunning- 
ham, Bellville.     This  aided  in  the  purchase  of  our  property 
;  at  Selma. 

•  POST    OFFICES    OF    CHURCHES. 

Eustis,  Grove  Hill,  Dixon's  Mill,  Whatley,  Thomasville, 
Glover,  Atkerson,  Choctaw  Corner,  Myrtlewood,  Putman,  Clif- 
ton, Octagon. 

LEADING    MEN. 

Revs.  C.  L.  Robertson,  H.  W.  Mitchell,  C.  L.  Davis,  E.  P. 
■>  Yow,  W.  Thomas,  P.  Kimbrough,  J.  Williams,  M.  Dosey,  J.  M. 
.  Houston,    R.   F.   Forman,   F.  Johnson,   A.  L.   Cleveland,   A. 
Charles,  W.  M.  Kimbrough. 

I 

DALLAS  COUNTY  ASSOCIATION. 

Organized  1872,  is  a  large  body,  operating  in  the  "Black 
Belt."  They  have  about  4,000  members.  Support  educa- 
tional enterprises. 

POST    OFFICES    OF    THEIR    CHURCHES. 

Crumpton,  Gee's  Bend,  Lasso,  Linden,  Cylonia,  Orrville, 
Portland,  Cahaba,  Lower  Peach  Tree,  Selma,  Brown's  Station, 
Gaston,  Rehoboth,  Hazen,  Uniontown,  Martin  Station,  Bogue- 
chitto,  Hamburg. 

LEADING    MEN. 

D.  Boyd,  W.  C.  Richards,  G.  W.  Jones,  T.  Mosely,  P. 
Underwood,  W.  Sprague,  H.  Robertson,  R.  D.  Vassar,  T.  B. 
Goldsby,  E.  B.  Smith,  H.  Wilier,  A.  C.  Collin,  S.  Thompson, 
A.  Hardaway,  D.  M.  Coleman,  A.  Waller,  J.  Watts,  N.  Jones, 
R.  Murry,  L.  Bryant. 

Rev.  D.  M.  Coleman  deserves  praise  for  his   persistent 


68  COLORED  BAPTISTS  OF  ALABAMA. 

struggles  after  education.  In  spite  of  every  hindrance  he,  at 
rather  a  late  point  in  his  young  manhood,  started  and  com- 
pleted a  course  in  Selma  University. 

EAST  PERRY  COUNTY  ASSOCIATION. 

Organized  in  1885,  is  a  small  body,  and  the  writer  has 
learned  but  little  of  them. 

LEADING   MEN. 

Revs.  J.  A.  Jemison,  C.  Casby,  G.  S.  Boiling,  F.  Chandler, 
S.  Morse,  C.  McCord. 

EVERGREEN  ASSOCIATION. 

Organized  1878,  reports  about  3,500  members.  They 
liberally  support  educational  and  missionary  enterprises. 

POST    OFFICES    OF    THEIR    CHURCHES. 

Evergreen,  Dunham,  Joy ville,  Fairfield,  Red  Level,  Mason, 
Brooklyn,  Grovella,  Garland,  Andalusia,  Castleberry,  Brewton, 
Williams'  Station,  Pollard. 

LEADING    MEN. 

Revs.  L.  and  N.  Hawthorne,  G.  Donald,  J.  Wallace,  R. 
Monroe,  A.  Clairborne,  S.  Union,  J.  McCrery,  S.  I.  Shannon,  Z. 
Michael,  J.  Salter,  R.  McCrery,  D.  May,  R.  Ingrahain,  D. 
Shepard,  C.  C.  Lucious,  and  C.  Jackson.  They  want  to  estab- 
lish a  high  school  at  Evergreen,  where  Rev.  L.  Hawthorne  is 
now  engaged  in  teaching  and  preaching. 

THE  EUFAULA  ASSOCIATION. 

Organized  in  1867,  is  perhaps  the  oldest  Colored  Associa- 
tion in  Alabama.  Its  chief  founders  were:  Revs.  William 
McCoo  and  Jerry   Shorter,  and  Deacons  J.  E.  Timothy,  of 


ASSOCIATIONS.  69 


Eufaula,  and  Byrd  Day,  of  Glennville.  This  body  is  peculiarly 
organized  on  some  lines.  For  example:  Their  Sunday  School 
work  is  divided  into  districts,  which  districts,  under  their 
several  leaders,  hold  so  many  meetings  a  year  at  different 
centers  of  the  population.  A  carefully  prepared  program  is 
carried  out,  led  on  by  certain  persons  who  have  been  previously 
named  and  informed.     And  they  have  a  preachers'  association. 

POST    OFFICES  OF    CHURCHES. 

Eufaula,  Clayton,  Glenville,  Hurtsboro,  Lofton,  Pitts- 
boro,  Midway,  Hatchechubbee,  Seale,  Jerigan,  Cowikee,  Oats- 
ton,  Oswichee,  Coal  Ridge,  Louisville,  Hawkinsville,  Guerrj- 
ton,  Abbeville,  Three-Notch,  Enon,  Cochran,  Batesville.  Eu- 
faula is  the  leading  point  in  the  district. 

LEADING    MEN. 

Revs.  G.  W.  Webb,  J.  D.  Maddox,  Wni.  Williams,  James 
Peterson,  L.  F.  O'Bryant,  I.  Bostic,  N.  Bostic,  Eufaula. 

Revs.  W.  R.  Forbes,  E.  A.  McCall,  Columbus,  Ga. 

Revs.  Wm.  Pattrick,  E.  P.  Pattrick,  Wm.  Blakely,  Clayton. 

Rev.  J.  Q.  A.  Wilhite,  Selma. 

Revs.  J.  H.  Upshaw,  T.  H.  Mitchell,  Hatchechubbee. 

Revs.  A.  A.  Rivers,  J.  J.  Young,  Midway. 

The  author  has  been  unable  to  obtain  the  post  office  ad- 
dress of  the  following  names  :  Revs.  S.  Allen,  R.  H.  Wright, 
T.  Thomas,  C.  H.  Ammons,  P.  Shorter,  J.  Torbert,  M.  Davis, 
P.  Battle,  G.  W.  Moore,  L.  B.  Mitchell,  R.  Turpin,  P.  Johnson. 
E.  R.  Joseph,  E.  Crawford.  For  several  years  Rev.  L.  P.  Fes- 
ter has  been  the  missionary  for  this  body. 

Bro.  Byrd  Day,  a  pioneer  in  this  part  of  the  State,  relates 
the  following  interesting  story  :  *'  As  I  could  read  in  the  days 
of  slavery,  and  as  the  people  on  the  place  wanted  to  know  the 
sayings  of  God,  as  they  called  the  Bible,  they  bought  me  a 


I 

1 

70  COLORED    BAPTISTS   OF    ALABAMA. 


Bible  and  got  me  to  read  for  them.  We  slaves  were  allowed 
night  farms  in  those  days.  An  acre  or  so  of  land  was  given 
to  each  person  wanting  to  work  at  night.  Well,  in  order  that 
I  might  study  the  Bible,  the  other  slaves  on  the  place  worked 
my  patch  for  me.  So  I  studied  the  book  and  read  it  to  them." 
The  writer  once  spent  a  month  in  Eufaula  giviDg  Bible 
instruction  to  ministers,  and  was  paid  by  the  "Ministers'  As- 
sociation." 


I 


FLINT  RIVER  ASSOCIATION. 

Organized  in  1884,  is  a  small  body  of  less  than  1,000 
members,  and  is  the  result  of  a  secession  from  the  Muscle 
Shoals  Association.  Rev.  F.  A.  Chapman  is  its  principal 
founder  and  perhaps  is  their  strongest  man. 

MINISTERS. 

Kevs.  F.  A.  Chapman,  C.  M.  Davis,  C.  C.  Matthews,  Flint 
Station ;  G.  W.  Garth,  Crowton  ;  R.  Wilhoit,  Cedar  Plains  ;  B.  _ 
M.  Key,  D.  Ward,  S.  M.  Robinson,  Somerville ;  A.  Brown,  S. 
Gains,  A.  R.  Eason,  Huntsville;  C.  Davis,  Whitesburg;  W.  T. 
Connor,  Madison  ;  E.  Powell,  Hillsboro. 

The  writer  has  greatly  enjoyed  their  quiet  spirit  and 
earnest  labors.  However,  he  saw  at  their  last  session  (1894) 
a  rather  ludicrous  point  or  gesture  in  the  pulpit  exercises.  A 
brother,  who  is  known  to  be  an  upright  man,  as  well  as  a  very 
earnest  and  industrious  man,  was  making  some  remarks  on 
the  closing  sermon  of  the  session,  when,  becoming  very  happy, 
he  made  a  leap  upward,  which  caused  his  brethren  to  fear  lest 
there  would  be  a  bruise,  either  in  the  ceiling,  or  on  top  of  the 
minister's  head.  I  would  have,  if  I  could  have  done  so  with 
propriety,  urged  the  brother  to  remember  that  "  bodily  exer- 
cise profits  little,  while  godliness  is  profitable  unto  all  things," 
and  that  "  the  spirit  of  the  prophet  is  subject  to  the  prophet," 


ASSOCIATIONS.  71 

and  "let  all  things  be  done  decently  and  in  order."  However, 
I  remember  tbe  day  when  most  of  the  white  preachers  in 
Alabama  had  in  their  sermons  what  some  people  are  disposed 
to  call  "the  holy  tone,"  which  was  often  accompanied  by  quite 
a  lot  of  physical  exercise.  This  has  become  a  thing  of  the  past 
;  with  them  in  proposition,  as  they  by  culture,  have  been  raised 
►  to  see  that  Christianity  is  Christly  believing  and.  Christly 
living.  By  the  same  process,  the  same  conditions  will  come 
upon  us.     So,  we  will  still  labor  and  still  wait. 

FRIENDSHIP  WESTERN  UNION  ASSOCIATION. 

Organized  in  1891,  is  a  small  body  operating  in  a  section 
lying  south  of  Anniston  and  Oxford. 

POST    OFFICES    OF    THEIR    CHURCHES. 

Wedowee,  Lineville,  Rockdale,  Graham,  Beason's  Mill, 
Heflin,  Louina,  Micaville,  Lamar,  Edwardsville,  Truet,  Gay. 

LEADING    MEN". 

Rev.  A.  M.  Crawley,  Iron  City,  moderator  ;  and  J.  W.  Goss, 
Wedowee,  clerk.  Revs.  S.  A.  Banks,  L.  Dotson,  C.  T.  Early, 
J.  C.  Byrd,  J.  D.  Austin,  J.  R.  Heard,  D.  Welsh,  C.  Sterling,  C. 
Terry,  and  J.  Culbertson,  are  mentioned  among  the  principal 
pastors. 

GOOD  SAMARITAN  ASSOCIATION. 

Organized  1881,  has  some  eighteen  or  twenty  churches. 
The  copy  of  the  minutes  in  the  hand  of  the  writer  fails  to 
give  the  membership  of  the  churches. 

POST    OFFICES  OF    CHURCHES. 

Farmersville,  Gordonville,  Selma,  Bragg's,  Furman,  Mon- 
tery,  Haynesville. 


72  COLORED  BAPTISTS  OF  ALABAMA. 


LEADING  MEN. 

Revs.  Wm.  Moss,  W.  Baskin,  H.  J.  Kelly,  M.  Lewis,  E.  I 
Crawford,  J.  H.  Hartman. 

HOPE  HILL  ASSOCIATION. 

Organized  in  1886,  reports  a  membership  of  about  1,500. 

POST    OFFICES    OF    CHURCHES. 

Van  Dorn,  Gallion,  Demopolis,  Old  Spring  Hill,  Dayton. 

LEADING    MEN. 

Revs.  F.  Gilbert,  J.  W.  Belle,  Wm.  Allen,  W.  Reese,  A. 
Wilson,  W.  H.  Rone,  G.  C.  Roney,  W.  E.  Sharp,  A.  Collins, 
and  G.  V.  Spenser. 

LEBANON  ASSOCIATION. 

Operating  in  Pickens  county,  was  organized  in  1874,  and 
has  a  membership  of  about  2,000. 

LEADING    MEN    AND    THEIR    POST    OFFICES. 

Revs.  J.  C.  Archibald,  Bridgeville ;  D.  C.  Salmon,  Bridge- 
ville ;  R.  Kichey,  Pickensville ;  J.  Goodwin,  Raleigh ;  J.  T. 
Atty,  Memphis,  Ala.;  J.  G.  Johnson,  Carrollton ;  J.  Clark, 
Ehren ;  James  Howard,  Pickensville.  Brother  Archibald  is 
liberally  educated,  teaches  school,  and  is  a  progressive  man  on 
all  lines. 

LILY  STAR  ASSOCIATION. 

Organized  in  1885,  contains  only  about  1,000  members. 

POST    OFFICES    OF    CHURCHES. 

Trio,  Brierfield,  Centerville,  Harrisburgh,  Scottsville, 
Green  Pond,  Blocton,  Vance. 


ASSOCIATIONS 


PASTORS. 

Revs.  T.  M.  Parker,  W.  A.  Parker,  John  Bolden,  J.  A. 
Foster,  S.  Page,  H.  S.  Thompson,  G.  W.  Glenn,  G.  Calhoun. 

MOBILE  SUNLIGHT  ASSOCIATION. 

Organized  in  1887,  operates  chiefly  in  Mobile,  Baldwin 
I  and  Washington  counties.  The  St.  Louis  Street  Church, 
'  Mobile,  constituted  in  1859,  is  the  principal  church  in  this 

body.  They  have  churches  at  the  following  points  :  Whistler, 
r  Chastang,  Calvert's  Station,  Scranton,  Miss.,  Gondola,  Four 

Mile  Post,  Moffitsville,  Citronelle,  Mount  Vernon,  Chunchula, 

Cleveland,  Cottage  Hill,  Kushla,  Yancleve. 

MINISTERS. 

Revs.  J.  L.  Frazier,  C.  C.  Richardson,  T.  H.  Morgan,  G.  W. 
Cephas,  H.  Sims,  G.  Lewis,  A.  J.  Bolton,  E.  M.  Matthews,  S. 
A.  Johnson,  M.  J.  Thompson,  T.  Benson,  C.  L.  Roberts,  C. 
Reed,  W.  S.  Forbes. 


MOUNT  PLEASANT  ASSOCIATION. 

Marengo  county,  was  organized  in  1878.  They  number 
about  2,500  members. 

POST  OFFICES. 

Gallion,  Linden,  Faunsdale,  Dayton,  Magnolia,  Van  Dorn, 
Demopolis,  Uniontown,  Providence,  Spring  Hill. 

MINISTERS. 

Revs.  J.  Lawson,  H.  Shade,  James  Emmerson,  J.  Shaw, 
N.  P.  Anderson,  B.  Glover,  D.  S.  Thompson,  M.  D.  Agee, 
James  Brock. 


74  COLORED  BAPTISTS  OF  ALABAMA. 


MORNING  STAR  ASSOCIATION. 

Organized  in  -1874,  is  operating  in  Coosa  and  Elmore 
counties.  Their  membership  is  about  2,000.  They  have  been 
rather  separated  from  the  general  work,  but  perhaps  it  is 
owing  to  the  fact  that  their  location  has  made  it  rather  diffi-  • 
cult  for  those  who  have  represented  the  enterprises  of  the 
denomination  to  reach  them. 

LEADING   MEN. 

Revs.  L.  W.  Whitaker.  Rockford ;  M.  C.  Crosby,  A.  L. 
Swiridall,  A.  M.  Snowdon,  A.  Jones,  J.  A.  Baker,  E.  D.  Howell, 
L.  W.  McNeely,  R.  T.  Lewis,  J.  H.  Smith. 

POST  OFFICES. 

Lockford,  Irma,  Central  Institute,  Dexter,  Syke's  Mill, 
Pentonville,  Equality,  Lauderdale,  Nixburgh,  Weoka,  Crews- 
ville,  Goodwater. 


MOUNT  PILGRIM  ASSOCIATION. 

Organized  in  1874  by  Revs.  W.  H.  Mc Alpine,  J.  R.  Capers, 
and  William  Ware,  with  other  leading  men ;  occupies  the  chief 
mining  regions  of  Alabama.  Their  last  minutes  give  the  fol- 
lowing churches  and  ministers : 

CHUECHES. 

Birmingham — Sixteenth  Street,  Shiloh,  Sixth  Avenue, 
Hopewell,  Sardis,  First  Baptist,  North  Birmingham,  Mt.  Olive, 
Mt.  Pilgrim,  Healing  Springs,  Spring  Street,  St.  James,  Beth- 
lehem, Bethel,  Vernon. 

Bessemer — Jerusalem,  Canaan,  Red  Mountain. 


Rev.  J.  P.  Barton,  Pastor  Peace  Baptist  Church,  Talladega,  Ala. 
President  Baptist  State  Convention.  • 


76  COLORED    BAPTISTS     OF     ALABAMA. 

Pratt  City — Mt.  Hebron,  Pleasant  Hill,  Rising  Star,  St. 
James. 

Coalburg — Coal  Chapel. 
Patton — Mt.  Nebo. 
East  Lake — Mt.  Zion,  St.  Peter.- 
Helena — Mt.  Moriah. 
Dolomite — St.  John. 
Avondale — Mt.  Calvary. 
Blossburg — Mt.  Hebron. 
Woodlawn — Jackson  Street. 
Warrior — New  Bethel. 
Rosedale — Walnut  Street. 
Trussville — Mt.  Joy. 
Compton — Mt.  Olive. 
Oxmoor — Shady  Grove. 

MINISTERS. 

Revs.  T.  W.  Walker,  T.  L.  Jordan,  G.  W.  Parks,  William 
Ware,  G.  S.  Smith,  W.  A.  Shirley,  A.  J.  Fikes,  R.  Donald,  P. 
C.  Caddell,  W.  T.  Bibb,  J.  A.  Peele,  S.  D.  Sanders,  William 
Walker,  E.  E.  Perryman,  R.  H.  Yogle,  M.  C.  Adams,  J.  P. 
O'Riley,  A.  A.  Scott,  L.  V.  Ellison,  J.  E.  A.  Wilson,  V.  Hunt- 
ington, F.  M.  Miller,  B.  P.  Palmo,  H.  Neally,  F.  C.  Chandler, 
S.  M.  Hall,  H.  Zimmerman,  S.  L.  Belser,  W.  E.  Craddock,  J.  B. 
Gardner,  S.  A.  Latham,  Van  B.  James,  P.  Woollen,  L.  J.  Green, 
R.  Johnson,  L.  W.  Wells,  J.  M.  Anthony,  L.  C.  Jones. 

As  educators,  they  have  Messrs.  T.  H.  Posey,  J.  C.  Barker, 
F.  P.  McAlpine.  and  A.  J.  Edwards. 

Rev.  L.  D.  James  is  missionary  of  their  district.  Their 
membership  is  about  6,000,  and  their  church  property  is  worth 
not  less  than  $50,000. 


ASSOCIATIONS.  77 


BIRMINGHAM    CHURCHES. 

The  oldest  church  in  the  city  is  the  Spring  Street  Church, 
Rev.  L.  J.  Green's  church,  but  the  Sixteenth  Street,  Sixth 
Avenue,  and  Shiloh  Churches  are  the  most  influential 
churches.  The  Sixteenth  Street  Church  was  organized  in 
1873,  it  appears,  and  her  pastors  appear  in  the  following  order : 
Revs.  J.  Readon,  TV.  Reed,  A.  C.  Jackson,  W.  R.  Pettiford,  and 
T.  L.  Jordan.  In  a  property  point  of  view  they  owe  much  to 
Rev.  A.  C.  Jackson,  under  whom  they  obtained  the  present 
church  lot,  three  other  lots,  and  a  small  frame  building,  say 
about  §5,000.  This  $4,000  or  $5,000  went  toward  the  erection 
of  their  brick  edifice,  erected  under  the  pastorate  of  Rev.  W. 
R.  Pettiford.  They  owe  about  $3,000  on  their  building,  the 
payment  of  which  has  been  much  hindered  by  the  scarcity  of 
money.  In  all  the  most  progressive  plans  of  gospel  work  in 
this  section,  this  church  has  led  the  way ;  and  their  advance 
on  these  lines  is  chiefly  due  to  the  presence  of  Dr.  Pettiford 
and  the  missionary  ladies.  The  Sixth  Avenue  Church  is  the 
next  to  appear.  Its  pastors  have  been :  Revs.  Silas  Jones,  T. 
W.  Walker,  J.  W.  White.  Tbey  have  recently  offered  the 
pastoral  charge  to  Rev.  J.  Q.  A.  Wilhite,  who  is  expected  to 
assume  management  this  month  (May,  1895).  They  are  in 
debt  also. 

The  church  that  is  the  marvel  of  the  city  is  the  Shiloh, 
under  Rev.  T.  W.  Walker.  This  church  was  organized  May  3, 
1891,  as  the  result  of  preaching  service  supported  by  a  society 
known  as  the  "Christian  Relief  Association."  They  now 
have  the  smallest  debt,  the  largest  house  and  the  largest  con- 
gregation in  the  city.  Often  when  1,200  or  1,500  people  are 
in  the  house,  a  good  part  of  the  street  is  full  of  persons  who 
are  anxious  to  approach  near  enough  to  hear.  Of  course  the 
pastor  is  the  source  and  center  of  this  successful  church,  but 


78  COLORED  BAPTISTS  OF  ALABAMA. 

he  has  been  fortunate  in  drawing  about  him  some  very  busi- 
ness-like as  well  as  very  agreeable  people.  The  following 
anniversary  program,  etc.,  will  give  an  idea  of  the  church's 
operations  and  system.  (This  program,  with  facts  like  it,  is 
given  for  its  suggestiveness) : 
Mat  3,  1891  May  3,  1895 

FOURTH    ANNIVERSARY    OF    SHILOH    BAPTIST 
CHURCH,  OF  BIRMINGHAM,  ALA. 

The  anniversary  of  the  above  named  church  will  be  held 
on  Friday,  the  above  date,  at  the  church  on  Avenue  G,  between 
Eighteenth  and  Nineteenth  streets. 

All  churches  in  the  city  and  vicinity  are  cordially  invited 
to  be  present  and  take  a  part  in  the  exercises,  as  those  present 
will  have  the  privilege  to  speak  on  the  subjects  after  they 
have  been  submitted  to  the  assembly.  The  following  will  be 
the  programme  for  the  day. 

9:30  to  10  a.  m. — Opening. 

Devotional  exercises  and  responsive  Scripture  reading. — 
Psalm  24. 

10  to  10  : 30— "The  Work  of  the  School,"  by  Mrs.  Laura 
Emmons.    Discussed  by  Rev.  J.  A.  Peel,  of  North  Birmingham. 

10:30  to  11— "The  Work  of  the  B.  Y.  P.  U.,"  by  Miss 
Georgia  Battles.  Discussed  by  Rev.  J.  E.  A.  Wilson,  of  Pratt 
City. 

11  to  11:30— "The  Work  of  the  Missionary,"  by  Miss  A. 
L.- Bowman.     Discussed  by  Rev.  V.  B.  James,  of  Avondale. 

11:30  to  12— "Children's  Mission  Band  Society,"  by  Miss 
Sallie  Bates.     Discussed  by  Rev.  L.  V.  Ellison. 

12  to  1  p.  m.— «  The  History  of  the  Church,"  by  J.  M.  Ross. 
Discussed  by  Rev.  T.  W.  Walker. 

Adjourn  to  reassemble  at  3  p.m. 


ASSOCIATIONS.  79 


3  to  3  :  15 — Devotional  exercises  by  Rev.  William  Winters. 

3:15  to  3 :  45— «  Cbristian  Relief  Society,"  by  J.  W. 
Sampson.     Discussed  by  Rev.  G.  W.  Parks. 

3  :  45  to  4 :  30 — Sermon  on  "  The  Progress  of  the  Baptists," 
by  Rev.  W.  E.  Perryman,  of  Pratt  City. 

COLLECTION. 

4:30  to  5— "Church  Unity,"  by  Rev.  L.  J.  Green.  Dis- 
cussed by  Rev.  T.  L.  Jordan. 

5  to  5:45— "The  Church  in  the  Present  Struggle,"  by 
Rev.  S.  L.  Belser.    Discussed  by  Syl.  D.  Jones. 

Adjourn  to  reassemble  at  7: 30. 

7:30  to  8 — Devotional  exercises  by  Rev.  C.  H.  Hopkins. 

8 — Anniversary  sermon  by  Rev.  J.  Q.  A.  Wilhite. 

COLLECTION. 

All  are  requested  to  bring  their  Bibles,  as  they  will  be 

needed. 

J.  W.  Sampson, 
J.  M.  Ross, 

Rev.  T.  W.  Walker,  Pastor.  Committee. 

The  above  exercises  took  place  on  Friday,  and  the  author 
of  this  book  was  present  to  gather  evidence  of  progress. 

Closing  the  chapter  on  the  Mount  Pilgrim  Association,  I 
submit  the  following  programs  in  order  to. give  further  ligbt 
on  the  general  operations  in  their  field. , 

MT.  PILGRIM  WOMEN'S   MISSIONARY  ASSOCIATION. 

TOPICS. 

1894.  November — Women  of  the  Bible. 
December — The  Mother's  pledge. 

1895.  January — Our  State  work. 
February — How  to  make  happy  homes. 


80  COLORED  BAPTISTS  OF  ALABAMA. 

March — Our  duty  to  our  country. 

April — Ways  of  elevating  of  our  race. 

May — Our  duty  to  the  heathen. 

June — What  should  we  teach  our  children. 

July — Qualifications  needed  for  Christian  usefulness. 

August — Economy. 

September — Fireside  schools. 

October — Review  of  the  year's  studies. 

The  above  gives  the  topics  of  the  local  monthly  meet- 
ings. 

WOMEN'S  MISSIONARY  ASSOCIATION. 

Jackson  Street  Baptist  Church,  Woodlawn,  May  3,  1895. 

PROGRAM. 

9:00  a.  m. — Praise  service. 

9:30  a.  m. — President's  address. 

9:45  a.  m. — Hinderances  to  Christian  usefulness. 
10:15  a.  m. — Best  methods  for  governing  children. 
10:45  a.  m. — Has  each  Christian  a  responsibility  in  bringing 

the  world  to  Christ? 
11:15  a.  m. — Reports  of  local  societies. 

2:00  p.  m. — Praise  service. 

2:15  p.  u. — The  true  women, 

2:45  p.  m. — Africa's  need. 

3:30  p.  m. — The  model  missionary  society. 

4:00  p.  m. — Business. 

In  this  meeting  the  following  names  appear :  Mesdames 
P.  F.  Clark,  Sallie  Hall,  R.  Callier,  A.  McKesson,  L.  Tyrus,  E. 
C.  Bellmy,  L.  Dean,  S.  Ceephas,  A.  L.  Billheimer,  S.  A.  Don- 
ald, M.  J.  Walker,  with  the  names  of  the  missionaries,  Misses 
Knapp  and  Boorman. 


ASSOCIATIONS.  81 


FIFTH  GENERAL  MEETING  OF  THE  BAPTIST  YOUNG 
PEOPLE'S  UNION  OF  MT.  PILGRIM  ASSOCIATION. 

December  7,  1894. 
10:00  a.  m. — Praise  service. 
10:15  a.  m. — President's  address. 
10:30  a.  m. — "What  is  necessary  to  Christian  growth  ? 
]  1:00  a.  m. — How  to  make  a  success  of  B.  T.  P.  U.  in  country 

churches. 
11:30  a.  m. — The  importance  of  good  reading  matter. 
12:00       m. — Literature. 

2:00  p.  m. — A  model  meeting. 

2:30  p.  m. — Address  :    The  work  of  the  B.  Y.  P.  U.  in  evan- 
gelizing the  world. 

3:00  p.  m. — Best  methods  for  promoting  temperance. 

3:30  p.  m. — Report  of  local  Unions. 

4:00  p.  m. — Business. 

7:00  p.  m. — Praise  and  conference  and  collection. 

8:00  p.  m. — Echoes  from  the  Toronto  Convention. 

These  topics,  etc.,  show  the  lines  of  thought  upon  which 
the  mind  is  working.  How  different  things  are  now  from 
what  they  were  in  1835,  when  Job  Davis,  the  African  preacher, 
toiled  by  the  side  of  his  fellow  slaves  all  day  and  dreamed  at 
night  of  his  far  off  home  over  the  great  sea!  Now  in  the 
valley  where  his  famous  camp-meeting  sermon  melted  the 
heart  of  the  white  people  into  a  condition  of  submission  to 
Jesus  and  into  hope  of  the  coming  world— where  the  black 
man  knew  only  spade,  plow  and  hoe — we  have  the  Negro  M. 
D.,  Negro  druggist,  Negro  dentist,  Negro  banker,  Negro  author, 
Negro  merchant,  Negroes  worshiping  in  brick  churches,  Negro 
scientists,  and  white  people  using  Negro  inventions.  Here  are 
Banker  B.  H.  Hudson,  Druggist  I.  B.  Kigh,  Drs.  Goin,  Brown, 
and  U.  G.  Mason,  Inventor  Andrew  Beard,  with  orators  and 
educators  many.     «  What  shall  the  harvest  be  ?  " 


Miss  Hardie  Martin,  Teacher  in  Public  School,  Montgomery,  Ala. 


ASSOCIATIONS.  83 


THE  MULBERRY  ASSOCIATION. 

Organized  in  1882,  is  composed  of  only  a  few  churches, 
chief  among  which  we  may  mention :  New  Zion,  Mt.  Pleasant 
and  Spring  Hill,  Elba  post  office;  Mt.  Calvary,  Damascus  and 
Antioch,  Rose  Hill  post  office;  Friendship  and  Pleasant  Ridge, 
Henderson  post  office;  Mt.  Olive  and  St.  John,  Luverne  post 
office.    They  have  between  1,200  and  1,500  members. 


t  ■ 


LEADING    MEN. 


Revs.  G.  Stringer,  M.  H.  Henderson,  G.  B.  Gibson,  C.  P. 
Larkin,  D.  F.  White  and  J.  S.  Lee. 


MUD  CREEK  ASSOCIATION. 


Organized  in  1873,  is  a  small  body  of  very  poor  churches, 
located  in  Jackson  county.  There  were  a  few  rich  slave- 
holders in  said  county,  among  whom  was  the  Rev.  Charles 
Roach,  Sr.  On  his  plantation  there  were  three  preachers,  one 
Methodist  and  two  Baptist.  The  Baptist  preachers  were 
Thomas  and  Perkins.  Like  many  other  ex-slaves,  they 
retained  the  name  of  their  master,  and  became  known  as  Revs. 
Thomas  and  Perkins  Roach.  Rev.  Robert  Caver,  at  an  early 
date  after  the  close  of  the  war,  came  into  the  county  a  Baptist 
preacher.  These  men  became  the  organizers  of  the  work  in 
this  county.  The  county  is  no  longer  so  full  of  colored  people 
as  once  it  was,  and  hence  the  churches  are  very  small  and 
can't  support  their  pastors.  Revs.  James  Larkin,  Lewis  Roach, 
T.  J.  Roach,  Lewis  Henshaw,  F.  Cobb,  C.  L.  Lovelady,  J. 
VV.  Robinson  are  doing  what  they  can  to  keep  up  the  work 
but  they  labor  under  great  difficulties.  It  is  the  purpose  of 
some  to  attempt  to  establish  a  school  at  Hollywood.  If  this 
.project  should  mature  there  is  a  prophecy  of  better  condi- 
tions in  time  to  come. 


84  COLORED    BAPTISTS    OF    ALABAMA. 


MUSCLE  SHOALS  ASSOCIATION 

Is  among  the  largest  and  oldest  Associations  in  the  State, 
I  having  been  organized  in  1869  by  Revs.  Henry  Bynum,  Wni. 
Coleman  and  W.  E.  Northcross,  aided  by  Dr.  Joseph  Shackel- 
ford (white),  of  Trinity.  I  was  with  them  as  they  met  in  the 
session  of  1893  in  the  Courtland  Church.  In  1827,  a  Mr.  D. 
P.  Bestor,  a  white  minister,  preached  in  this  section  and  began 
the  work  of  organizing  among  the  whites.  I  was  told  that 
the  white  church,  constituted  in  Courtland  in  1827,  had  long 
passed  away  and  that  of  their  building  "  one  stone  was  not 
left  upon  another."  Only  the  vacant  church  lot  remained  to 
tell  of  what  had  been.  The  white  people  were  gone  we  knew 
not  how  nor  whither,  but  that  the  gospel  which  they  had 
{  preached  was  blooming  like  a  green  bay  tree  in  the  hearts  of 
1  their  ex-slaves,  this  large  Association  was  tangible  evidence. 
The  Rev.  John  Belle  reminded  his  brethren  that  the  time  had 
been  when  he  was  the  only  man  in  the  body  who  could  write 
and  when  committees  went  out  to  consult  and  agree,  and  then 
returned  to  submit  verbal  reports,  which  he  as  clerk  was  ex- 
pected to  formulate.  He  compared  this  state  of  things  with 
the  present  condition,  wherein  the  writer  was  the  ride  and  the 
non- writer  the  exception. 

This  body  is  noted  for  church  building.  The  people  in 
Huntsville  and  Sheffield  owe  their  buildings  to  the  plan  and 
liberality  of  this  Association.  The  Rev.  Paul  Jones,  for  many 
years  their  moderator,  was  full  of  missionary  zeal  and  wise 
plans,  and  pushed  things  in  all  directions.  His  death  caused 
them  a  great  loss. 

Their  minutes  give  the  following  churches  and  pastors :  Tus- 
cumbia  church,  Rev.  W.  E.  Northcross  ;  Courtland  and  Sheffield, 
Rev.  G.  B.  Johnson,  of  Courtland  ;  Red  Bank  and  Iuka,  Rev. 
John  Belle,  of  Courtland  ;  Pleasant  Grove,  Mt.  Zion  and  Little 


ASSOCIATIONS.  85 


Zion,  Rev.  E.  M.  James,  of  Courtland  ;  Russellville  and  Flor- 
ence churches,  Rev.  E.  C.  White, of  Tuscumhia;  Mount  Olive, 
Rev.  L.  Warren,  of  Leighton  ;  Palmetto,  Rev.  M.  Jones,  of 
Russellville ;  Galilee  and  Mount  Pleasant,  Rev.  B.  King,  of 
Leighton;  Town  Creek  and  Moulton,  Rev.  A.  J.  Owens,  of 
Moulton ;  Mount  Moriah,  Rev.  H.  R.  Baker,  of  Tuscumbia ; 
Macedonia,  Rev.  A.  Troupe,  of  Town  Creek  ;  Elm  Grove,  Rev. 
William  Weaver,  of  Oakland ;  Mount  New  Home,  Rev.  Wil- 
liam Morris,  of  Leighton  ;  Huntsville  Church,  Rev.  O.  Gray, 
of  Huntsville ;  Cave  Springs,  Zion  and  Bethel,  Rev.  James 
Hampton,  of  Leighton  ;  Zion  No.  2.,  Rev.  J.  H.  Betts,  of  Flor- 
ence;  Cater's  Branch,  Rev.  A.  Davis;  St.  Peter's,  Rev.  H.  L. 
Ellis,  of  Flint ;  Jerusalem  and  Salem,  Rev.  D.  Jackson,  of 
Tuscumbia  ;  Mt.  Olive,  Rev.  G.  S.  Ricks,  of  Leighton  ;  Decatur 
Church;  Rev.  M.  J.  Hooks  ;  Hillsboro,  Rev.  B.  Swoope ;  Bap- 
tist Chapel,  Rev.  James  -Young,  of  Florence ;  St.  Paul  and 
Hopewell,  Rev.  S.  Wadkins,  Tuscumbia. 

They  report  church  property  worth  about  $25,000.  Their 
principal  work  has  been  in  the  way  of  starting  missions  and 
building  churches.  They  have  6,000  members,  and  an  excel- 
lent territory,  but  they  greatly  need  a  school.  Professors  H. 
H.  Stewart,  of  Courtland,  and  J.  P.  Gettis,  of  Decatur,  and 
Dr.  Sterrs,  of  the  same  place,  are  the  most  advanced  men  of 
their  fellowship.  Dr.  Sterrs  is  a  successful  young  physician 
as  well  as  preacher. 

NEW  PINE  GROVE  ASSOCIATION. 

Organized  in  1878  and  is  a  secession  from  the  old  Pii  e 
Grove.  They  have,  perhaps,  about  2,000  members  in  the  fol- 
lowing churches:  At  Troy — Pine  Grove,  Holly  Springs, 
High  Ridge,  Mt.  Olive;  Union  Springs— Sardis,  Low's  Field, 
Lime  Creek;  Brundidge — Post  Oak,  New  Hope,  Mt.  Pilgrim. 


86  COLORED    BAPTISTS    OF    ALABAMA. 


LEADING    MEN. 

Rev.  A.  Martin,  Union  Springs ;  Wm.  Mullen  and  M. 
Flournoy,  Troy  ;  W.  H.  Copeland  and  E.  Mayer,  Brundidge. 

NEW  CAHABA  ASSOCIATION. 

Organized  in  1871,  has  about  2,000  members,  and  are 
generous  supporters  of  missionary  and  educational  enter- 
prises. Their  work  is  managed  by  such  men  as  Revs.  P.  S. 
L.  Hutchins,  B.  N.  Tubbs,  R.  E.  Brown,  L.  Abercrombie,  T. 
Chandler  and  A.  L.  Huggins. 

*  They  have  churches  at  or  near  Marion,  Hamburg  and 
Selma.  The  copy  of  their  minutes  which  came  to  the  writer's 
hand  is  not  sufficiently  full  to  make  a  good  record,  as  is  the 
case  with  regard  to  other  minutes  in  hand. 

OLD  PINE  GROVE  ASSOCIATION. 

With  headquarters  at  Union  Springs,  Bullock  county,  was 
organized  in  1870.  No  section  of  Alabama  affords  better  tal- 
ent than  is  found  within  the  territory  of  this  Association.  The 
people  of  Union  Springs  are  noted  for  their  ability  and  skill 
in  business  affairs — merchandise,  etc. 

The  brick  church  edifice  recently  erected  by  Rev.  "W.  C. 
Bradford  and  his  church  in  Union  Springs,  as 'well  as  the 
large  and  successfully  operated  stores,  is  testimony  on  this 
line. 

The  officers  of  this  body  are :  Rev.  E.  Thornton,  Union 
Springs,  moderator;  Prof.  F.  L.  Todd,  Union  Springs,  clerk; 
Rev.  "W.  C.  Crawford,  treasurer. 

They  have  about  2,000  members,  and  the  following 
churches : 

Aberfoil — Elizabeth. 


ASSOCIATIONS.  87 


Union  Springs — First  Baptist,  Mt.  Pleasant,  St.  John,  and 
Mt.  Hilliard. 

Cotton  Valley — Elizabeth. 

Thompson  Station — Mt.  Pleasant  and  Second  Baptist. 

Fitzpatrick  Station — Greenwood. 

McLemore — Mt.  Common. 

Bug  Hall — Bethlehem  and  Mt.  Carmel. 

Indian  Creek — Mt.  Calvary. 

Goslien  Mill — Mt.  Zion. 

China  Grove — Mt.  Zion. 

Linicood — Mt.  Pleasant. 

Flora — Mt.  Sinai. 

Suspension — Mt.  Canaan. 

Orion — Bethlehem. 
They  have  the  following  pastors  : 

Union  Springs — Revs.  W.  C.  Bradford,  £.  Thornton,  L. 
Lawson,  and  E.  Moore. 

Aberfoil — Revs.  C.  H.  Thornton  and  J.  C.  Jett. 

Flora— Rev.  P.  Allen. 

Fitzpatrick — Rev.  William  Thompkins. 

Cotton  Valley — Revs.  M.  Ellington  and  W.  Crawford. 

For  general  purposes  the  Association  raises  from  $50  to 
6100  a  year. 

Post  Offices  Unknown — Revs.  T.  Hendrix,  G.  Youngblood, 
P.  Johnson,  S.  M.  Dawson,  J.  M.  Faison,  R.  Jole,  S.  Barnes. 

Rev.  J.  W.  Jett,  a  man  of  Virginia  birth,  is  the  oldest 
member  of  the  body ;  he  was  associated  with  those  pioneers 
of  this  section,  Revs.  Peter  Johnson  and  William  Townsend. 
Mr.  Jett  is  still  strong  and  active,  and  is  ready  for  any  good 
work.  Rev.  E.  Thornton  leads  this  body,  and  it  could  not  be 
otherwise,  as  no  man  among  them  is  a  mightier  and  more  con- 
spicuous individuality. 


COLORED    BAPTISTS    OF    ALABAMA. 


PEROTE  ASSOCIATION.    . 

Organized  in  1880,  is  not  so  well  known  as  some  other 
bodies.  From  the  minutes  of  1888  I  glean  the  following: 
They  have  a  church  at  Perote,  one  at  Mt.  Andrew,  one  at 
Fresco,  two  at  Victoria,  one  at  Midway,  and  one  at  Pine 
Grove.  Their  membership  at  this  time  was  small,  and  the 
names  of  some  of  their  chief  men  appear  as  follows :  Rev. 
J.  H.  Burks,  W.  B.  Grubbs,  C.  G.  Wheeler,  R.  Allen,  and  R.  Dix. 

PIKE  COUNTY  ASSOCIATION. 

Organized  in  1887,  rose,  it  seems,  in  Pike  County.^ 

PASTORS. 

Revs.  J.  S.  Adair,  T.  Diggs,  G.  Whaley,  W.  S.  Pollard,  H. 
Broxton,  M.  Stinson,  W.  F.  Williams,  J.  0.  Davis,  and  others. 

CHURCHES. 

Troy  Post  Office— Troy  Church. 

Clayton — Mt.  Moriah. 

Burk?s — Antioch. 

Buck  Horn — Mt.  Olive. 

Elba — Friendship  and  Harmony. 

Limcood — Benevolent. 

They  endorse  educational  enterprises. 

RUSHING  SPRINGS  ASSOCIATION. 

Organized  in  1870.  Revs.  Henry  Woods,  W.  H.  McAlpine, 
and  Isham  Robinson  were  the  chief  founders  of  this  body. 
Talladega  county  is  their  main  territory,  though  they  have 
churches  in  Coosa,  St.  Clair  and  Calhoun  counties. 

Rev.  E.  C.  Rivers  has  been  for  years  their  efficient  moder- 


ASSOCIATIONS.  89 


ator,  and  Rev.  A.  A.  Battle  is  clerk.  They  report  their  churches 
and  ministers  as  follows  : 

Jenifer  Post  Office — Shady  Grove  and  Shiloh. 

Renfroe — New  Salem,  Antioch  and  Bethel. 

Talladega — Pleasant  Grove,  Mt.  Pilgrim,  Mt.  Cleveland, 
Rocky  Mount,  Sycamore,  Mt.  Canaan,  Mt.  Moriah,  Mt.  Zion. 

Eureka — Pleasant  Hill,  Rushing  Springs. 

Kilntdga — Mt.  Carmel. 

Goodwater — Marietta. 

Kelleifs  Creek — Mt.  Zion. 

Sylacauga — Harper  Springs,  New  Hope,  Rising  Star. 

Silver  Run — Sweet  Home. 

Cropwell — Crop  well. 

Regan — Macedonia. 

Sycamore — Mt.  Olive,  Pleasant  Hill,  Salem. 

Sedan — Blooming  Light. 

Birnexfs — African  Church. 

Lincoln — Pine  Grove. 

Mt.  Olice—tiew  Shiloh. 

Alpine — New  Maryland,  Kingston. 

Rendalia — Zion  Hill. 

Oxford — Rocky  Mount. 

Kastaboga  — Salem. 

Anniston — Mt.  Zion. 

Ironaton — Ironaton . 

Stetcardsville — Un  ion . 

Miles — Lebanon. 

MINISTERS. 

D.  Savage,  of  Mumford;  A.  Z.  Wilson,  N.  Jemison,  B. 
Jackson,  A.  Bibb,  S.  Rivers,  P.  Jordan,  C.  C.  Curry,  R.  Garrett, 
A.  J.  Vincent,  A.  O'Neal,  A..  G.  Walker,  James  Headen,  M.  H. 
Cunningham,  H  Wood,  J.  Chapman,  A.  A.  Battle,  S.  Burt,  R. 

7— 


90  COLORED  BAPTISTS  OF  ALABAMA. 

B.  McClellen,  J.  L.  Looney,  A.  Bryant,  A.  Davis,  S.  Marbry,  J. 
P.  Barton,  M.  C.  B.  Oden. 

This  body  is  led  chiefly  by  men  who  have  attended  Tal- 
ladega College,  some  of  whom  are  not  only  graduates  and 
scholars,  but  are  strong  preachers  of  the  plain  old  gospel  story. 

They  number  about  6,500  members.  Talladega  and  An- 
niston  are  their  chief  points.  Talladega  is  the  "  Old  Indian 
battle  ground,"  and  here  the  white  Baptists  formed  a  church 
in  1835.  Sister  Cain,  a  member  of  the  Mount  Canaan  Church, 
Talladega,  said  to  the  writer :  «  There  was  no  town  here  when 
I  came.  The  Indians  lived  here  and  it  was  all  nothing  but 
wild  woods."  As  she  was  talking,  the  Talladega  College  bell 
loudly  rang  out  some  orders  or  notice  upon  the  ears  of  Negro 
students.  I  mused  :  "  How  the  world  changes !  About  the 
years  1820-1830,  negro  slavery  is  established  in  Talladega 
county.  In  1835  a  white  church  rises  up  and,  unknowingly, 
begins  to  prepare  to  give  birth  to  a  Negro  church,  which  will 
give  birth  to  a  Negro  Association.  In  1865  the  slave  is  free, 
and  in  1870  the  white  church  constitutes  the  Mt.  Canaan 
Church  (colored),  out  of  which  comes  the  Rushing  Springs 
Association.  And  Negro  men  and  Negro  women  are  carrying 
diplomas  from  buildings  erected  by  white  Baptists  for  the 
education  of  white  people.     All  this  in  less  than  fifty  years." 

V 

THE    AFRICAN    BAPTIST    CHURCH, 

j  In  Talladega  county,  has  a  rather  peculiar  history.  The 
;  lot  was  donated  in  1849,  it  appears,  by  a  Mr.  William  Jenkins, 
ja  wealthy  slave  owner,  who  lived  about  eight  miles  south  of 
i  the  town  of  Talladega.  It  is  said  that  In  addition  to  the  gift 
[of  land  and  building,  he  paid  a  man  to  teach  the  catechism  to 
r  the  colored  children,  and  paid  annually  $150  toward  the  salary 
'  of  a  minister  for  the  colored  people  who  worshiped  with  this 


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Rev.  W.  R.  Pettifonl,  D.  D.,  President  Penny  Savings  and  Loan  Co.,  President 
Alabama  Publishing  Co.,  Birmingham,  Ala. 


92  COLORED  BAPTISTS  OF  ALABAMA. 

church.  Samuel  Jenkins,  a  slave  from  South  Carolina,  was 
one  of  their  first  deacons. 

Pastors. — It  appears  that  the  following  brethren  served 
the  church  at  different  times  in  the  capacity  of  pastor:  Revs. 
D.  Reynolds,  S.  Boils,  D.  Peeples,  W.  H.  McAlpine,  Phil.  Davis, 
A.  Lawler,  and  Jordan  Chapman. 

The  origin  of  this  church  is  full  of  suggestion.  It  shows 
that  in  spite  of  the  brutalizing  influences  of  the  horrible  in- 
stitution of  slavery,  humanity  and  Christianity  in  the  master 
often  triumphed  in  deeds  of  love  and  mercy  in  behalf  of  the 
helpless  slave.  The  memory  of  such  men  as  Mr.  Jenkins  in- 
scribed  upon  such  times  will  be  fragrant  forever.  The  planta- 
tion to  which  the  above  named  lot  belonged  has  changed  hands 
several  times,  but  this  lot  is  fixed  nn  the  records  as  the  prop- 
erty of  the  African  Church. 

Honorable  mention  is  made  of  Rev.  Chesley  Johnson  and 
Joe  Walker.  The  latter,  it  is  said,  was  allowed  to  give  Bible 
lessons  on  his  master's  plantation.  The  manliness  which 
characterizes  Mr.  Henry  Barclay  (Mr.  Walker's  son)  and  other 
decendants,  marks  Mr.  Walker's  rare  talent. 

SANDY  RIDGE  ASSOCIATION. 

Organized  in  1887,  is  composed  of  the  following  churches  : 

Burnesville  Post  Office — Lily  Zion  and  Lily  Grove. 

Selma — St.  James,  New  Liberty,  Cahaba,  and  Elyton. 

Vine  Hill — Pleasant  Grove  and  Mt.  Pilgrim. 

Stateville — New  Mt.  Moriah,  Autaugaville,  New  Hope, 
Pleasant  Valley,  and  St.  Paul. 

Jones'  Switch — New  Providence. 

Augustine — Oak  Grove. 

Revs.  A.  Clay,  J.  and  E.  Mixom,  M.  Bishop,  H.  W.  Peeples, 
and  E.  W.  Deampart  are  mentioned  among  their  leading  men. 
Their  church  property  is  reported  at  $8,000. 


ASSOCIATIONS.  93 


SALEM  ASSOCIATION. 

Organized  in  1871,  is  a  small  body  in  southeast  Alabama. 
I  have  been  unable  to  obtain  data  from  this  body.  I  learn 
that  they  have  churches  at  the  following  points :  Brundidge, 
Clintonville,  Enterprise,  and  Cox  Mills. 

SHELBY  SPRINGS  ASSOCIATION. 

Was  organized  in  1869.  Rev.  Berry  "Ware,  it  seems,  was 
one  of  its  leading  founders.  They  have  a  membership  of  about 
3,000.  They  have  some  excellent  men,  among  whom  may  be 
mentioned :  Revs.  B.  M.  Mallory,  F.  Youngblood,  H.  D. 
Leathers,  of  Childersburg;  Rev.  D.  L.  Prentice,  Aldrich ;  Rev. 
J.  P.  Barton,  Talladega  ;  Rev.  E.  E.  Perryman,  Helena;  Revs. 
G.  R.  Nash,  F.  R.  Kenedy,  B.  F.  Singleton,  and  P.  Caddell,. 
Columbiana;  Rev.  F.  Cahill,  Harpersville;  Revs.  J.  L.  Looney 
and  P.  Fancher,  Fayetteville  ;  Revs.  W.  C.  Owens  and  J.  H. 
Moseley,  Calera. 

The  minutes  of  1890  give  the  following  post  offices  and 
churches : 

Ch ildersbu rg — En  oh  . 

Kymulga — Mt.  Olive. 

Aldrich — Hepzibah . 

Blocton — Liberty. 

Talladega — Peace  Baptist. 

Wilsonville — Bethlehem,  Scott  Grove,  Mt.  Grove,  and  Dry 
Branch. 

Harpersville — Mt.  Olive. 

Helena — Mt.  Pleasant. 

Fayetteville — Shady  Grove,  Friendship. 

Columbiana — Zion,  Friendship,  and  Macedonia. 

Mt.  Pinson — Mt.  Bradford. 


94  COLORED  BAPTISTS  OF  ALABAMA. 

Siluria — Union  Hill,  Liberty  No.  1. 

Shelby — Providence. 

Long  View — Galilee. 

Calera — Moseley  Chapel,  New  Mt.  Moriab,  Bethel. 

Rev.  D.  L.  Prentice,  Aldrich,  is  doing  a  very  effective 
work  in  the  school  room,  and  the  people  of  his  town  bear  the 
marks  of  his  pedagogic  labors.  Their  meetings,  I  mean  asso- 
ciational  meetings,  are  enjoyable  and  they  give  evidence  of 
piety,  promise  and  power. 

This  body  liberally  aided  in  the  purchase  of  Selma  Uni- 
versity, and  has  ever  been  ready  for  any  and  every  good  work. 

SOUTHEAST  ALABAMA  ASSOCIATION. 

This  Association  operates  in  the  extreme  southeast  por- 
tion of  the  State.  I  have  not  been  able  to  secure  a  full  statis- 
.  tical  table  from  them. 

They  report  thirty  churches,  with  a  membership  of  about 
2,000.  From  a  mutilated  copy  of  their  minutes  for  1892  the 
following  names  are  given  as  the  ordained  ministers  of  the 
body  :  J.  Craddock,  G.  Christinar,  J.  Stith,  Thomas  Slaughter, 
M.  Spencer,  E.  P.  Langston,  J.  Cotton,  E.  Alford,  T.  Rollins, 
A.  L.  Koonce,  J.  C.  Green,  Wm.  Carter,  A.  Powell,  J.  Foston, 
J.  Sampson,  James  Humphrey,  G.  R.  Hall,  K.  C.  Liferedge, 
and  A.  Turner. 

Part  of  the  statistical  table  is  torn  away,  but  the  follow- 
ing appears  as  the  list  of  their  post  offices :  Cowarts,  Otho, 
Crosby,  Balkum,  Headland,  Gordon,  Shorterville,  Halesburg, 
Zornville,  Hardwicksburg,  Brackins,  Choctawhatchie,  Colum- 
bia, La  wrenceville,  Abbeville,  Fort  Gaines,  Cottonwood.  Dothan, 
Hilliardsville,  Ashford.  "  I  give  this  list  because  to  know  the 
post  offices  of  the  churches  is  better  than  to  know  nothing  at 
all.  They  are  all  right  on  temperance,  and  they  say  they  will 
license  no  man  to  preach  who  cannot  read  the  New  Testament. 


ASSOCIATIONS.  95 


SNOW  CREEK  ASSOCIATION. 

Is  chiefly  located  in  Calhoun  and  Etowah  counties.  At 
present  their  officers  are  as  follows  : 

Rev.  H.  W.  Whatley,  White  Plains,  moderator. 

Rev.  William  Munds,  Anniston,  assistant  moderator. 

Prof.  Lydden  Green,  Oxford,  clerk. 

This  body  was  organized  in  1869  by  Rev.  Burrell  Snow 
(whose  name  it  bears)  and  a  few  others,  aided  by  the  late 
Rev.  Mr.  Jinkins,  a  white  Baptist  minister,  whose  heart  and 
hand  seemed  ever  ready  to  help  on  every  good  work  among 
the  colored  people. 

Rev.  H.  J.  Hoke,  the  efficient  missionary  of  Arkansas, 
wrent  out  from  this  association.  They  have  something  above 
2,000  members  belonging  to  the  following  churches  : 

Ohatchee,  Ohatchee ;  New  Mount  Gilead,  Marks  ton  ;  New 
Prospect,  Choccolocco  ;  Oconee,  New  Hope,  Oxford  ;  Spring 
Hill,  Bynum  ;  Bates  Springs,  Cane  Creek,  Greensport;  Mount* 
Olive,  Oxanna  ;  Mount  Zion,  Coat's  Bend  ;  Galilee,  Friendship, 
Anniston  ;  Bethany,  Iron  City  ;  New  Mount  Silla,  Peaceburg  ; 
Shiloh,  Dukes;  Ziou  Hill,  White  Plains;  Antioch,  Friendship, 
Gadsden;  New  Hope,  First  Colored,  Jacksonville;  New  Hope, 
Rock  Run  ;  Pleasant  Gap,  Stock's  Mills  :  Pine  Grove,  Knot- 
ville ;  Bethel,  Alexandria  ;  Mount  Sinai,  Weaver's  Station  ; 
Patona,  Piedmont ;  St.  Jacob,  Tecumseh,  and  beautiful  Bor- 
den Springs. 

The  following  are  the  pastors  :  Revs .  H.  Middleton,  J.  J. 
Johnson,  B.  Jackson,  H.  Green,  Thomas  Ivory,  A.  F.  Alexan- 
der, T.  L.  Douglass,  S.  Walker,  J.  S.  Simmons,  Gadsden  ;  H. 
W.  Whatley,  White  Plains;  William  Munds,  N.  P.  Pullum, 
Anniston;  C.  Pyles,  Oxford;  G.  W.  Brewton,  Alexandria; 
James  Denson,  Talladega. 

These  brethren  are  all  0.  K.  on  the  leading  issues  of  the 


96  COLORED    BAPTISTS    OF    ALABAMA. 

day.      Brother  Whatley  is,  in  many  regards,  a  very  strong' 
man,  hospitable  as  a  host,  and  genial  as  a  companion,  a  good 
citizen  and  successful  business  man. 

SOUTHEAST  DISTRICT  ASSOCIATION. 

Confined  chiefly  to  Crenshaw  county  ;  was  organized  in 
1879.  The  writer  has  attended  one  of  their  sessions  held  east 
of  Greenville,  a  few  miles  from  Luverne. 

LEADING   MEN. 

Revs.  James  Barrett,  Boiling;  E.  Dunklin.  J.  H.  Hender- 
son, Greenville;  M.  C.  Lowery,  E.  D.  Wallace,  Boiling;  S.  M. 
Ransom,  Oak  Streak;  S.  M.  Lowery,  Salsoda;  Bro.  Walter 
Williams,  Glascow  a?id  Bro.  Henry  McLain,  Oaky  Streak. 

POST  OFFICES    OF    CHURCHES. 

Luverne,  Greenville,  Glascow,  Oaky  Streak,  Salsoda,  Rut- 
ledge,  Pontus,  Shell,  Bradleyton,  Pigeon  Creek.  They  hope 
to  begin  a  high  school,  for  which  purpose  they  have  raised 
abont  $300.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  they  will  secure  their 
money  against  loss.  Far  too  many  times  money  has  been 
raised  for  church  and  school  purposes  and  put  into  the  bands 
of  men  who  lost  it  (?)  or  loaned  it  out.  Such  loose  manage- 
ment of  funds  destroys  the  confidence  of  the  people  and  in- 
jures the  cause  of  Christ.  I  regret  to  say  that  they,  at  the 
session  referred  to,  did  not  unanimously  endorse  the  temper- 
ance movement  of  the  day,  though  there  was  a  strong  senti- 
ment in  the  right  direction.  They  number  about  2,000  mem- 
bers. I  was  impressed  with  the  natural  power  of  some  of 
their  leaders.  In  their  number  I  saw  some  rising  young  men, 
who  I  think  will  attain  to  knowledge  of  books. 


ASSOCIATIONS. 


SPRING  HILL  ASSOCIATION. 

Operating  south  of  Montgomery,  was  organized  in  1874 
by  Brethren  W.  W.  Lane,  Lewis  Witherspoon,  George  Jones, 

D.  Carter,  0.  Blue,  and  others. 

CHURCHES    IN    1891. 

Pine  Level  Post  Office — Spring  Hill. 

Woodley— White  Cloud. 

Center  Point — Mt.  Pleasant  and  Macedonia. 

Helicon — Mt.  Gilead  and  Ramer. 

Le  Grand — Little  Roxanna. 

Snoicdown — Snowdown  Valley. 

Meadville — Pilgrim,  Hickory  Chapel,  Galilee. 

Pine  Level — Warrior  Hill,  Bethlehem,  and  Elizabeth. 

Shellhorn — Israel. 

Montgomery — Columbus  Street  Church,  Baptist  Lily. 

Fitzpatrick — Philadelphia,  Mount  Moriah. 

Woodley — Jerusalem. 

Chambers — Calvary. 

MINISTERS. 

Revs.  S.  Adams,  T.  Ervin,  A.  Garner,  R.  Borden,  M.  Jack- 
son, F.  Nichols,  William  Rollins,  William  Day,  0.  Blue.  J. 
Mitchell,  W.  Mullens,  D.  S.  Adams,  I.  Davis,  John  Smith,  and 

E.  M.  Burkett. 

Dr.  A.  J.  Stokes,  of  Montgomery,  has  for  several  years 
been  their  moderator.  In  the  session  of  1891  they  rejected  the 
temperance  report;  but  this  year  (1893)  they  vote  by  a  large 
majority  in  favor  of  it.  A  few,  however,  claim  that  they 
"have  a  right"  to  use  alcohol  if  they  desire  to  do  so.  They 
have  a  membership  of  5,000  or  6,000.  A  Rev.  Mr.  Pollard  has 
been  in  their  employ  as  missionary,  so  the  writer  is  informed. 


98  COLORED  BAPTISTS  OF  ALABAMA. 


STAR  OF  HOPE  ASSOCIATION. 

Organized  in  1877  and  operating  chiefly  in  "Wilcox  county, 
presents  the  following  roll  of  churches  : 

Antioch,  Magnolia,  New  Hope  No.  2,  New  Hope  No.  4, 
Ruk  West,  Emanuel  Street,  and  Union  Baptist,  Camden  Post 
Office;  Cedar  Grove  and  Starling,  Furman  ;  Little  Rock,  Til- 
den  ;  Little  Zion,  St.  Emanuel,  St.  Peter,  Nellie;  Mt.  Gilead 
and  Magnolia,  Bell's  Landing ;  Morning  Star  and  Shady  Grove, 
Miller's  Ferry ;  New  Hope  No.  3  and  St.  Wisdom,  Canton's 
Bend ;  New  Hill,  Butler's  Spriugs ;  Oak  Valley,  Monterey ; 
Pine  Flat,  Tinela;  St.  Francis,  Caledonia;  St.  Peter,  River 
Ridge.  Antioch  of  Camden,  Cedar  Grove  of  Furman,  and 
Little  Rock  of  Tilden,  are  the  oldest  churches  in  this  body, 
having  been  organized  in  1868. 

Their  number  is  between  1,700  and  2,000.  Their  pastors 
are  Revs.  S.  B.  McCall,  George  Earl,  M.  Boykin,  V.  Pruit,  K. 
Wolfe,  F.- Williams,  W.  H.  Ray,  Jr.,  L.  D.  Johnson,  M.  Lewis, 
L.  Jefferson,  S.  Boyd,  C.  L.  George,  J.  C.  Blackburn,  John  Poe, 
N.  Hill,  George  Earl,  M.  Ervin,  W.  G.  King.  J.  A.  Lawson. 
The  venerable  Henry  Allen  has  been  in  this  section  as  "a 
father  in  Israel." 

They  are  trying  to  support  a  high  school  at  Camden. 
Rev.  J.  A.  Lawson  is  especially  active  in  educational  matters, 
and  all  seem  ready  for  any  and  every  good  work. 

TOWN  CREEK  ASSOCIATION. 

Is  a  new  body,  organized  in  1889.  The  minutes  of  1891 
give  the  following : 

Magnolia  Church,  Warrior  Stand,  Rev.  E.  Moore,  pastor; 
Bethlehem  Church,  Cotton  Valley,  Rev.  M.  Ellington,  pastor ; 
Sweet  Pilgrim  Church,  Union  Springs,  Rev.  E.  Thornton, 
pastor;    St.  Paul  Church,  Cotton   Valley,  Rev.  C.  Johnson? 


Rev.  J.  L.  Frazier,  Pastor  St.  Louis  St.  Baptist  Church,  Mobile,  Ala. 


100  COLORED    BAPTISTS    OF    ALABAMA. 


Town  Creek  Church,  Union  Springs,  Rev.  J.  Germany, 
Antioch  Church,  Columbus,  Ga.,  Rev.  E.  A.  McCall, 

Mt.   Nebo   Church, ,   Rev.    J.  Germany, 

Mt.  Pisgah  Church,  Dick  Creek,  Rev.  W.  M.  Walker, 
Perry  Hill  Church,  Warrior  Stand,  Rev.  J.  S.  Taturo, 
Mt.  Calvary  Church,  Union  Springs,  Rev.  H.  Jones, 
Oak  Grove  Church,  Cotton  Valley,  Rev.  Mac.  Wright, 


pastor : 
pastor : 
pastor : 
pastor : 
pastor : 
pastor 
pastor: 
pastor. 

They  have  a  membership  of  about  1,500. 

Rev.  E.  Thornton,  of  Union  Springs,  is  moderator,  and 
E.  A.  McCall,  of  Columbus,  Ga.,  is  clerk. 

The  writer  has  been  unable  to  ascertain  all  desirable  facts. 
Judging,  however,  from  the  character  of  the  men  whose  names 
appear  in  the  lead  of  their  work,  we  may  feel  sure  that  they 
have  organized  the  Association  in  order  to  advance  educa- 
tional and  missionary  interests. 

UNION  ASSOCIATION. 

Was  organized  in  1874  of  churches  which  seceded  from 
the  Alabama  District  Association. 

They  have  the  following  churches  and  ministers  :  Green- 
ville— First  Colored,  Pine  Top,  Salem,  Old  Elm,  Pine  Level; 
Pineapple — Arkadelphia,  New  Virgin  ;  Monterey—  Ridgeville, 
Spring  Hill,  Mt.  Moriah,  Rosemary;  Bugville — Friendship; 
Dunham — Long  Creek;  Simkinsville — Pleasant  Hill;  Star- 
lington — Pine  Level;  Allenton — Siloam  and  Mt.  Zion  ;  Min- 
ter — Hopewell;  Pleasant  Hill — Good  Hope,  Cedar  Grove; 
Snow  Hill — Shiloh  ;  Georgiana — Friendship;  Furman — Anti- 
och ;  Manningham — Mt.  Olive  ;  Luverne — New  Hope;  Daisy — 
Union;  Vidette — Star  of  Hope;.  New  Providence — Mt.  Ida; 
Farmerville — Cedar  Grove;  Oakfield  —  Oakfield  ;  Forest 
Home  —  Rock  west;     Sepulga  —  Spring    Hill;    Camden  —  St. 


ASSOCIATIONS.  101 


Mary.     Rev.  J.  Nichols,  Greenville,  is  moderator;  Rev.  J.  VV. 
Smith  is  treasurer,  and  Mr.  I.  N.  Carter,  of  Monterey,  is  clerk. 
Their  sessions  are  rather  stormy,  as  may  be  said  of  other 
bodies. 

LEADING    MEN. 

Revs.  L.  Adams,  H.  Thompson,  I.  Young,  W.  Morast,  S. 
Albrighton,  J.  Beverly,  Q.  C.  Craig,  J.  Scott,  L.  McKee,  W. 
Anderson,  J.  Barrett,  G.  Pugh,  J.  Henderson,  S.  Skanes,  R. 
Palmer,  E.  Perdue,  M.  McLowery,  J.  Ricks,  J.  Moss,  E.  Wal- 
lace, E.  Stallworth,  William  Scott,  E.  Pickett,  J.  Blackman,  It. 
C.  Crane. 

Prof.  I.  N.  Carter  is  a  strong  man  in  this  body,  whose 
confidence  and  good  will  he  seems  still  to  hold.  They  have 
many  naturally  fine  young  men,  but  they  need  a  school  veiy 
much. 

UNIONTOWN  ASSOCIATION. 

Organized  in  1872  by  the  late  Revs.  Henry  Stephens,  John 
Dosier  and  John  Blevins,  is  reported  to  be  next  numerically 
to  the  Alabama  District,  containing  a  membership  of  about 
11,500.  They  raise  annually  for  general  purposes  from  #200 
to  $400 .  Their  «  Statistical  Table  "  gives  the  following  list 
of  churches  and  ministers:  , 

POST    OFFICES    AND    CHURCHES. 

Selma — St.  Philip  Street,  Tabernacle,  Mount  Zion,  Little 
Rock,  St.  Paul,  New  Center,  Mount  Ararat,  Beach  Island, 
Everdale,  Providence,  Elbethel,  Mount  Zion  ;  Newbern — New- 
bern,  Holly  Chapel,  Oak  Grove;  Greensboro — St.  John,  St. 
Peter,  St.  Paul,  Mount  Moriah,  Willow  Springs,  Salem,  Pleas- 
ant Grove,  Mount  Zion  ;  Safford's— New  Hebron,  Mount  Leb- 
anon, Concord  ;  Boiling  Springs — First  Baptist,  New  Boiling 
Springs;  Hamburg — Green  Liberty;  Brown's — Trinity,  Good 


102  COLORED  BAPTISTS  OF  ALABAMA. 

Hope ;  Sawyersville — Bethlehem,  Springfield,  New  Hope ; 
Perryville — Pleasant  Hill,  Perryville;  Uniontown— Mount 
Calvary,  Woodlawn,  St.  James,  Uniontown  ;  Kimbrough — Je- 
rusalem ;  Prairie  Bluff — St.  Mitchell;  Catherine — Salem, 
Dixon  Grove,  Mount  Olive;  Marion— Second  Baptist,  Spring- 
field, Willow  Grove,  Hopewell,  Bethel,  Eagle  Grove ;  Lami- 
son — Macedonia  ;  Scott's  Station — Green  Leaf,  McKiuley, 
Bethel  Hill ;  Faunsdale — :Faunsdale,  Camben,  Rehoboth  ;  Sum- 
merfield — Macedonia,  Orrville,  Peace  and  Love;  Alberta — 
Macedonia,  Christian  Light ;  Felix — Center,  Bethany,  Marion 
Junction,  Pernell,  Colerine,  Sbiloh  ;  Pleasant  Hill — Bethel, 
Whitsets,  Pickens. 

MINISTERS. 

Selma — Revs.  C.  J.  Hardy,  I.  T.  Simpson,  D.  M.  Coleman, 
L.  J.  Green,  G.  H.  Hobdy,  Q.  C.  Craig,  C.  J.  Davis,  J.  B.  Russell ; 
Newbern — W.  H.  Reddick,  G.  Frost.  VV.  H.  Huckabee ;  Greens- 
boro— Wm.  Madison,  P.  Cottrell,  P.  Umphrey,  S.  Abrams; 
Marion — C.  S.  Dinkins,  D.  D.,  A.  Billingley ;  Uniontown — 
Rev.  A.  F.  Owens,  H.  Alexander,  Wm.  Boon ;  Faunsdale — F. 
A.  E.  Beck;  Gallion — P.  S.  L.  Hutchins,  A.  M.;  Marion  Junc- 
tion— A.  W.  Ragland ;  Hamburg — Y.  R.  White ;  Prairie  Bluff — 
W.  H.  Green;  Boiling  Springs — E.  Slone;  Kimbrough — A. 
Gladen  ;  Camden — J.  A.  Lawson  ;  Lainison — R.  Estridge  ; 
Brown's  Station — W.  L.  Lawson:  Pleasant  Hill — J.  R.  Scott; 
Perryville — R.  Z.  Deyampert ;  Sawyersville — I.  J.  Jones  ;  Orr- 
ville— G.  M.  Jones;  Post  Offices  unknown — R.  Christian,  J.  G. 
Flood,  L.  E.  Hobson,  A.  Gladen,  W.  W.  Richardson,  R.  T. 
Bowden,  E.  C.  Borroughs,  W.  H.  Hatcher,  G.  M.  Jones,  G. 
King,  and  others.  This  body  has  quite  a  number  of  pastors 
from  Selma  University. 

Too  much  cannot  be  said  in  praise  of  these  brethren  for 
the  manner  in  which  they  have  stood  by  the  Selma  University 
under  all  its  changes.    And  yet  we  would  have  been  surprised 


ASSOCIATION'S.  103 


if  such  a  grand  set  of  men  as  lead  this  hody  should  have  acted 
otherwise.  Rev.  J.  Dosier,  quite  an  old  man,  reads  Greek  fairly 
well.  Rev.  C.  B.  Davis  is  a  young  man  of  much  ability  and 
promise.  Rev.  F.  A.  E.  Beck  appreciates  the  value  of  educa- 
tion, is  a  natural  magnet,  and  draws  the  people  after  him. 
Rev.  A.  W.  Ragland  is  loved  by  all  for  his  brotherly,  quiet 
manners.  But  space  fails  me  or  I  would  speak  of  Revs.  T.  R. 
White,  R.  Z.  Deyampert,  J.  R.  Scott,  and  others,  who  are 
pillars  in  this  organization. 

SALEM    MISSIONARY    BAPTIST    CHURCH,  GREENS- 
BORO. 

The  white  Baptists  had  for  many  years  prior  to  the  late  ) 
war  a  prosperous  church  at  this  place,  with  a  large  member- 
ship of  white  people  and  colored  people — the  slaves  of  their 
masters.  Just  about  the  time  of  the  war  the  larger  portion 
of  the  white  membership  moved  away,  and  from  one  cause 
and  another,  the  close  of  the  war  found  but  a  few  white  mem- 
bers remaining,  but  a  large  colored  membership. 

The  white  members,  to  whom  the  property  belonged,  sold 
the  building  and  donated  12,000  of  the  proceeds  to  the  colored  j 
members  for  them   to  build  a  church  with .       This  church  is 
the  same  church  that  the   white  people  had  organized  more 
than  fifty  years  ago. 

Rev.  H.  Stephens  was  the  first  pastor  of  the  colored  con- 
gregation, after  they  moved  their  church  site,  and  was  pastor  j 
for  twenty  years. 

Rev.  L.  J.  Green  was  pastor  for  about  four  years,  and  Rev 
W.  M.  Madison,  the  present  pastor,  has  been  there  five  years, 
has  built  a  nice  parsonage  and  greatly  increased  the  member- 
ship. 

There  were   300   members    (colored)    when   the  church 


104  COLORED    BAPTISTS    OF    ALABAMA. 


moved  to  its  present  site.     They  have  now  a  membership  of 
800. 

■  This  is  the  mother  church  of  nearly  every  church  in  Hale 
county  and  they  have  a  great  many  large  and  prosperous 
churches  in  the  county.  The  church  property  is  worth 
$2,500. 

This  is   saying  good   things   for   the  white  Baptists  of 

.Greensboro.      Deacon  Dock  Lane,  one  of  the  most  honorable 

and  consecrated  among  men,  deserves  mention  as  a  pillar  in 

this  church.      Among  the  leaders  of  this  church  appears  the 

name  of  Mr.  A.  Wimbs. 

Desiring  to  make  honorable  mention  of  this  worthy 
young  man,  I  requested  of  him  something  of  bis  history,  and 
he  sends  me  the  following  : 

"I  was  born  in  Greensboro,  Ala.,  September  23,  1860. 
My  mother  was  named  Josephine;  she  was  brought  from 
Washington  and  sold  to  Mr.  A.  L.  Stollenwerck,  of  this  town. 
My  father  was  named  Addison  Wimbs  and  resided  in  Wash- 
ington ;  he  was  a  slave  on  account  of  his  mother  being  a 
slave,  but  his  father  was  a  free  man,  and  had  bought  nearly 
all  of  his  children  and  sent  them  to  Canada.  What  educa- 
tion I  have,  I  received  at  the  town  school  here — Tullibody 
Academy — under  the  management  of  Prof.  W.  B.  Patterson. 
I  have  served  my  church  in  the  capacity  of  superintendent  of 
the  Sabbath  School  and  clerk  of  the  church  ;  was  secretary  of 
the  Sabbath  School  Convention  of  the  Uniontown  Association  ; 
am  a  member  of  the  Executive  Board  of  the  Convention.  I 
was  at  one  time  editor  of  a  small  paper  here  called  the 
Voice. 

"  I  have  been  for  many  years  the  bookkeeper  and  general 
clerk  in  the  law  office  of  Governor  Seay.  1  was,  I  am  quite 
confident,  the  first  Negro  in  Alabama,  if  not  in  the  entire 
South,  to  operate  on  the   typewriter,  and   now  I  think,  I  am 


ASSOCIATIONS.  105 


the  first   Negro  to   manage  the  Edison  phonograph  for  busi- 
purposes." 

I  know  of  no  ex-slave  and  ex-slaveholder,  between  whom 
there  is  more  confidence  on  one  side  and  high  regard  on  the 
other,  than  exist  between  Governor  Seuy  and  Addison 
Wimbs.  This  means  for  Brother  Wimbs  quietness  of  spirit 
and  solid  worth,  as  well  as  a  conservative,  genial  soul  in  Gov- 
ernor Seay. 

THE  ST.  PHILLIP  STREET  CHURCH,  SELMA. 

This  church-  was  organized  about  the  year  1845.  The 
church  was  composed  of  the  white  membership  and  the  church 
which  was  composed  of  the  colored  membership,  agreed  to 
build  together,  with  the  understanding  that  the  former  should 
occupy  the  upper  story  and  the  latter  should  occupy  the  base- 
ment. This  agreement  was  kept  until  some  time  after  the 
close  of  the  war,  when  the  white  brethren  bought  the  claims 
of  tbe  colored  church,  paying  $2,000  for  possession  of  the 
basement.  Their  first  colored  pastor  was  the  Rev.  Samuel 
Phillips,  a  man  who  had  received  his  liberty  as  a  reward  for 
his  services  in  the  Mexican  war.  Deacon  A.  Goldsby  told  the 
writer  that  Bro.  Phillips  was  a  very  earnest,  worthy  man. 
Nothing  is  known  of  the  time  and  place  of  his  birth,  and 
nothing  special  is  said  of  his  death. 

The  Rev.  John  Blevens,  who  was  born  in  Madison  county, 
Ala.,  was  the  next  pastor,  and  served  from  1866  to  1878. 
Under  his  administration  the  present  property  on  St.  Phillip 
street  was  obtained.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Blevens  was  followed  by 
Rev.  G.  J.  Brooks,  who,  after  a  short  pastorate,  resigned,  and 
was  followed  by  Rev.  W.  A.  Burch,  from  Philadelphia,  Pa. 
Mr.  Burch  gathered  a  larger  congregation  than  any  other 
previous  pastor,  and  did  more  than  any  other  man  in  teaching 
the  people  to  give  for  the  support  of  the  church.     After  two 


Rev.  P.  S.  L.  Hutchins,  Pastor  Churches  at  Newberne  and  Gallion,  Ala. 


ASSOCIATIONS.  107 


years,  he  was  called  to  a  pastorate  in  Boston,  Mass.,  and  was 
followed  in  the  Selma  pastorate  by  the  writer,  who  remained 
with  the  church  during  1882-87.  Except  the  addition  of 
about  350  members  and  the  secession  of  the  Tabernacle 
Church,  nothing  transpired  that  merits  mention.  The  writer 
was  followed  by  Rev.  S.  S.  Sisson.  At  this  writing,  the  Rev. 
C.  J.  Hardy,  late  of  Florida,  is  their  successful  leader,  under 
whose  strong  administration  they  have  just  completed  a  two- 
story  brick  structure  on  Sylvan  Street.  Their  property  is 
worth  not  less  than  $20,000 — finest  colored  church  edifice  in 
Alabama. 

It  is  worthy  of  mention  and  praise  that  the  Selma  Uni- 
versity came  to  its  birth  under  the  fostering  care  of  this 
church.  In  the  old  frame  building  on  St.  Phillip  street  the 
sainted  Woodsmall  began  to  turn  upon  the  negro  Baptists  of 
Alabama  the  morning  light,  the  early  dawning,  of  our  denom- 
inational school.  And  this  church  gave  him  quarters,  fuel 
and  lights  without  money  and  regardless  of  costs,  so  that  in 
May,  1878,  it  was  reported  that  the  school  had  paid  out  noth- 
ing for  these  things.  What  a  good  deed  is  set  down  to  their 
credit  on  high !  But,  in  addition  to  this,  they  organized  a 
missionary  society,  which  gave  regular  contributions  for  sup- 
port of  teachers  and  other  workers  in  the  school. 

Deacon  A.  Goldsby  related  the  following  to  the  writer: 
"  Forty  or  fifty  years  ago  we  organized  a  prayer  band  to  pray 
for  our  freedom.  We  met  outside  of  the  little  town,  under  a 
large  oak  tree,  on  every  Friday  night.  That  we  might  know 
.when  a  friend  came  beneath  the  tree,  we  agreed  upon  a  pass- 
word, which  was  'The  hindering  cause.'  Each  uttered  this 
softly  as  he  came  under  the  boughs  of  the  tree,  and  was 
answered  by  any  other  who  had  come  ahead  of  him.  Then 
he  seated  himself  in  the  bushes  to  await  the  hour  for  united 
supplications." 


108  COLORED  BAPTISTS  OF  ALABAMA. 

If  in  years  to  come  the  University  should  desire  a 
picture  of  itself  as  it  made  its  advent  from  the  world  of  hope 
to  the  world  of  fact,  it  may  paint  this  :  A  frame  structure, 
the  roof  of  which  is  supported  by  a  row  of  upright  posts  ex- 
tending the  whole  length  of  the  building,  which  is  seventy-five 
or  eighty  feet  in  length.  On  the  morning  for  opening,  there 
enters  this  building  a  white  man,  whose  face  bears  signs  of 
suffering,  but  is  all  aglow  with  the  rays  of  faith  and  love.  He 
is  the  faculty.  Also,  there  enters  a  short,  fat,  brown-skinned 
young  man,  with  high,  broad  forehead.  He  has  heard  of  the 
purpose  to  begin  a  school  on  this  day  at  this  place,  and,  hun- 
gering for  learning,  he  has  come  up  to  enter.  This  teacher 
and  this  student  usher  in  our  beloved  institution. 

It  was  good  for  the  denomination  that  our  lot  was  cast 
among  such  a  people,  and  that  we  had  in  Bro.  Woodsmall  a 
man  who  did  not  faint  in  "the  day  of  small  things." 

WILL'S  CREEK  ASSOCIATION. 

Organized  in  1873,  and  operating  in  "  Will's  Valley"  and 
St.  Clair  county,  reports  the  following  churches  and  ministers  : 

At  Collinsville  Post  Office — Pleasant  Grove  Church ; 
Lebanon — Lebanon  ;  Fort  Payne — Fort  Payne ;  Valley  Head — 
Bethlehem  ;  Attalla — Mt.  Zion,  Pilgrim,  Bethlehem  ;  Keener — 
New  Hope;  Beaver  Valley — Pleasant  Hill;  Ashville — Mt. 
Zion;  Springville — Springville;  Whitney — Evergreen;  Gun- 
tersville — Bethlehem  and  Hooper  Chapel ;  Trenton — Trenton; 
North  Alabama — Clogville.  Rev.  G.  Neeley,  Ashville,  is  mod- 
erator; Mr.  J.  R.  Dean,  Ashville,  is  treasurer;  and  Prof.  P.  R. 
Sibert,  Keener,  is  secretary.  Their  pastors  are :  Revs.  N. 
Kerley,  R.  Berry,  M.  Edwards,  of  Fort  Payne;  G.  W.  Brewton, 
of  Alexandria;  H.  Massey,  J.  Griffin,  A.  Jackson,  and  James 
M.  Stevens.    They  have  about  1,500  members. 


ASSOCIATIONS.  109 


Elder  A.  Kerley  and  his  brother  are  the  chief  founders  of 
this  body.  They  greatly  need  an  infusion  of  light  from  -with- 
out. Rev.  James  Kerley,  the  pastor  at  Springville,  is  an  ex- 
student  of  Talladega  College.  While  they  were  in  session  in 
Ashville  in  1892  the  white  people  gave  them  the  use  of  their 
church,  and  pastors,  mayor  of  the  city,  and  other  leading  peo- 
ple, turned  out  to  encourage  them  and  to  financially  strengthen 
their  enterprises.  While  there,  a  white  minister  related  to' 
the  writer  the  following  story  :  "  When  the  late  Dr.  Renfroe 
was  a  young  man  he  was  very  poor,  though,  as  later  in  his 
life,  he  was  a  powerful  preacher.  In  the  height  of  a  glorious 
revival,  the  grass  in  his  crop  called  him  to  his  field.  A  colored 
brother  who  wanted  the  meeting  to  continue,  requested  his 
master  to  allow  him  to  prolong  the  meeting.  His  master 
replied:  'Jim,  you  can't  read,  you  can't  preach.'  The  slave 
replied  :  '  I  can  plow  and  kill  grass — can  do  these  for  Brother 
Renfroe" " 

Gleaning  from  the  associational  chapter,  we  obtain  : 

1.     The  origin  and  field  of  each  Association. 

'1.     The  names  of  the  pioneers  in  each  section  in  the  State. 

3.  The  location  and  something  of  the  history  of  churches 
and  communities. 

4.  Something  of  the  lines  of  thought  and  action  prevail- 
ing in  the  various  gospel  enterprises  of  the  denomination. 

It  was  not  thought  well  to  try  to  tell  the  same  things 
many  times  over;  hence,  some  things  are  given  in  connection 
with  one  Association  and  other  things  in  connection  with 
another — all  aiming  at  the  same  end,  namely  :     The  giving  of 

A  TRUE  PICTURE   OF  THE   COLORED   BAPTISTS  OF  ALABAMA. 


Rev.  W.  T.  Bibb,  A.  B.,  Pastor  Baptist  Church,  Oxnioor,  Ala. 


IV.     BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES. 


ADAMS,  REV.  STEWART,  of  Greenville,  Butler  county, 
was  the  chief  leader  and  organizer  in  that  section  of 
the  State  for  the  first  seventeen  or  eighteen  years  of  freedom. 
He  was  a  pure-blooded  Negro,  and  was  possessed  of  a  fine 
personal  appearance.  His  forehead  was  large  and  broad,  and 
the  sparkle  of  his  eye  indicated  the  presence  of  mental  power. 
He  could  read  and  write  fairly  well,  and  in  his  speeches  al- 
ways succeeded  in  conveying  his  thoughts  to  others.  He  was 
for  some  years  missionary  in  that  part  of  the  State  under  the 
American  Baptist  Home  Mission  Society  of  New  York,  during 
which  time  he  organized  many  churches,  which  were  united 
to  form  the  Union  Baptist  Association.  His  neatness  in  dress 
and  caution  in  the  use  of  words  were  everywhere  noticeable. 
It  was  sometimes  thought  that  he  was  rather  tenacious  of  his 
opinions,  but  I  think  all  his  brethren  credit*  d  him  with  hon- 
esty of  purpose,  and  hence  he  died  in  the  love  and  respect  of 
the  denomination. 

Allex.  Rev.  "Wallace,  of  Greenville,  was  a  very  pious, 
hard-working  preacher  in  the  Union  Association.  The  young 
men  delight  to  honor  his  memory.  The  author  has  been  un- 
able to  learn  anything  of  his  history  or  lineage. 

Axdersox,  Rev.  N.  P.,  is  pastor  at  Ensley  City. 

Ashby,  Rev.  Xatiian,  of  Montgomery,  was  born  in  Fred- 
ericksburg, Va.,  August  5,  1810.  He  knew  nothing  of  his 
parents,  and  to  the  age  of  16  he  was  under  the  care  and  direc- 


112  COLORED    BAPTISTS    OF    ALABAMA. 

tion  of  his  grandmother.  At  this  point  in  his  life  he  was  sold, 
with  some  horses,  to  traders,  who  brought  him  to  Alabama. 
He  says  of  this  trip  :  "At  first  I  was  not  aware  that  I  was 
sold,  but  thought  (as  I  had  been  told  so)  that  I  was  only  help- 
ing the  man  to  put  his  horses  well  into  the  way.  "When  in- 
formed that  I  was  among  the  stock  sold,  I  wept  bitterly  at  the 
thought  that  I  could  see  my  dear  grandmother  no  more.  While 
in  this  state  of  grief,  an  old  cake  woman  came  on,  selling  cakes. 
She,  looking  into  my  hand,  professed  to  read  as  follows :  '  Don't 
cry,  for  you  are  born  for  good  luck.  The  man  who  will  buy 
you  will  be  more  a  brother  than  a  master.  Fear  God  and  be 
obedient,  and  you  will  do  well.'  This  counsel,  no  matter 
whence  it  came,  removed  my  fears,  and  I  left  off  crying." 

When  about  32  years  of  age  he  bought  his  liberty,  paying 
for  the  same  the  sum  of  8900.  His  good  wife,  Mrs.  Nancy 
Ashby,  had  been  freed  a  few  years  before  by  a  Mrs.  Tate. 
Both  being  of  an  intellectual,  industrious  and  economical  turn 
of  mind,  it  was  not  long  before  they  were  well  under  way  to 
notoriety  and  prosperity.  Touching  her  experience  in  servi- 
tude, Mrs.  Ashby  tells  the  following:  "When  I  was  16  years 
old,  my  mistress,  in  urging  me  to  be  pure  and  faithful,  prom- 
ised that  if  I  would  obey  I  should  serve  no  one  after  her.  So, 
when  I  was  24,  she  set  me  free,  giving  me  a  daughter  that  had 
been  born  to  me." 

Bro.  Ashby  was  baptized  by  Mr.  Shrovell  in  Monroe 
county,  Ala.,  and  was  ordained  to  the  full  charge  of  the  gospel 
ministry  just  after  the  close  of  the  war,  by  Rev.  I.  T.  Tichenor, 
D.  D.,  and  others.  His  labors  in  the  ministry,  however,  began 
about  the  year  1845,  from  which  time  he  increased  in  favor 
with  God  and  man  to  the  day  of  his  death,  in  18S7.  He  led 
to  the  organization  of  the  First  Colored  Baptist  Church  (Co- 
lumbus street)  of  Montgomery,  in  which,  under  his  presi- 
dency, the  Colored  Baptist  State  Convention  was  constituted 


BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES.  113 

in  1868.  The  last  seventeen  years  of  his  life  he  was  an  invalid 
from  paralysis,  and  four  years  of  this  time  he  was  blind. 
During  this  time  the  writer  frequently  visited  him,  and  it 
would  seem  that  his  faith  in  God  was  mightier  in  the  days  of 
his  weakness  than  in  the  days  of  his  strength.  Heavenly 
sunshine  illumined  all  the  way  of  the  dark  valley,  even  to  the 
day  of  his  departure. 

Bro.  Ashby  was  a  man  of  naturally  fine  parts.  His  ser- 
mons and  speeches  were  characterized  by  order,  thought  and 
doctrine.  He  was  not  an  emotionalist  nor  dreamer;  with  him 
Christianity  was  faith  in  the  gospel  and  right-doing.  Jt  af- 
fords the  writer  much  pleasure  to  record  that  each  member  of 
his  family  not  only  receives,  but  also  contributes  honor  to  his 
valuable  life  and  honored  name. 

Mr.  Ashby  was  by  trade  a  carpenter,  by  which  means  he 
was  able  to  earn  fair  wages,  and  was  not  long  in  coming  into 
the  possession  of  valuable  real  estate. 

In  order  to  show  the  condition  of  a  free  colored  man  in 
Alabama  prior  to  the  close  of  the  late  civil  war,  I  submit  a 
legal  document  here,  bearing  upon  the  good  man  whose  name 
is  now  before  us  : 

a  straw  which  shows  the  direction  of  the  wind. 

"The  State  of  Alabama,) 
Montgomery  County.      ) 

"  Know  all  men  by  these  presents,  That  whereas,  here- 
tofore, to- wit:  on  the  1st  day  of  April,  A.  I).  1859,  Charles  T. 
Pollard  sold  and  conveyed  to  Wm.  B.  Bell,  as  guardian  or 
trustee  for  Nathan  Ellis  (now  called  Nathan  Ashby).  a  certain 
lot  in  the  city  of  Montgomery,  State  and  county  aforesaid, 
which  is  described  in  the  deed  of  said  Pollard  as  'Lots  num- 
ber three  and  four  in  square  number  fourteen,  Scott's  plat,  in 
the  city  of  Montgomery.' 


114  COLORED    BAPTISTS    OF    ALABAMA. 

«  And,  whereas,  the  said  Nathan  Ellis  (or  Ashby),  is  now 
capable  in  law  of  holding  property  in  his  own  name,  and- 
desires  to  hold  the  title  to  said  lot  and  premises  in  his  own 
name;  and  the  said  William  B.  Bell  also  desires  to  relinquish 
and  give  up  the  duties  and  responsibilities  devolved  on  him 
by  the  said  deed  as  the  trustee  or  guardian  of  said  Nathan 
Ellis  (or  Ashby);; 

"Now,  therefore, in  consideration  of  the  premises  and  for 
the  further  consideration  of  five  dollars,  to  the  said  Wm.  B. 
Bell  in  hand  paid  by  tbe  said  Nathan  Ellis  (or  Ashby),  at  or 
before  the  sealing  and  delivery  of  these  presents  (the  receipt 
whereof  is  hereby  acknowledged),  I,  the  said  Wm.  B.  Bell,  do 
hereby  release,  relinquish,  transfer  and  convey  by  quit-claim 
unto  the  said  Nathan  Ellis  (or  Ashby),  and  unto  his  heirs  and 
■  assigns,  all  my  right,  title  and  interest  both  at  law  and  in 
equity  of  every  kind  or  description  whatever,  in  and  to  the 
said  lot  and  premises  herein  above  described. 

"In  witness  whereof,  I,  the  said  Wm.  B.  Bell,  have  here- 
unto set  my  hand  and  seal,  this day  of  January,  A.  D.  1872. 

"  Attest :  «  William  B.  Bell." 

«  A.  R.  Bell." 

This  manuscript  is  recorded  in  "  Book  4  of  Deeds,  page 
314,"  March  26,  1872. 

Note. —Seven  years  elapsed  after  freedom  was  declared 
before  Mr.  Ashby  received  from  his  "  trustee  "  the  transfer  of 
his  property.  He  had  been  free  ever  since  1842,  but  his 
"trustee"  must  hold  and  manage  both  him  and  his. 

Archer,  Rev.  Maurice  M.,  son  of  Mr.  A.  and  Mrs.  Mary 
Archer,  was  born  in  Camden,  Ala.,  in  1858.  He  and  his 
parents  were  the  property  (?)  of  Mrs.  Li.  J.  Adams.  He  en- 
tered the  free  public  schools  at  an  early  age.  but  did  not  loDg 
remain,  because  of  his  father's  death  and  because  of  the  de- 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  115 

mands  made  upon  him  as  the  eldest  son  in  a  large  family.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  J.  S.  McBryde,  seeing  that  he  was  a  very  capable 
boy,  kindly  aided  him  in  his  studies  while  he  was  in  their  em- 
ploy. Thus  he  learned  to  read  and  write.  At  14  Mr.  Archer 
left  Mr.  McBryde  determined  on  securiDg  an  education.  Ad- 
vancing by  various  means,  he  was  soon  able  to  teach  school.  In 
November,  1881,  he  was  baptized  into  Siloani  Church  by  Rev.  A. 
Gould,  which  church  he  served  as  clerk  and  superintendent  of 
the  Sunday  School.  Feeling  a  call  to  the  ministry  and  desir- 
ing to  prepare  himself  for  the  same,  he  entered  Selma  Uni- 
versity October,'  1883,  and  passed  the  session  of  1884-5,  as  he 
says  starting  with  only  20  cents.  By  severe  sacrifice,  by  push, 
pluck  and  self-reliance,  he  pressed  onward,  till  in  May,  1887,  he 
graduated  at  the  head  of  his  class.  He  was  ordained  at 
Opelika.  September,  18S9.  Revs.  G.  C.  Casby,  C.  R.  Rodgevs 
and  others  officiating.  He  has  been  principal  of  the  Auburn 
City  School.  Mr.  Archer  is  one  of  our  clearest  thinkers  and 
most  fluent  speakers,  and  his  language  is  especially  gocd. 

Barker,  Joseph  C. — This  patient  and  cool-headed  young 
man  was  born  December  "JO,  1863,  near  Laneville,  Hale  county, 
Ala.  His  parents,  Sherrod  and  Caroline  Barker,  are  both  liv- 
ing and  members  of  the  Spring  Street  Missionary  Baptist 
Church,  Birmingham,  Ala.  They  are  living  monuments  of 
temperance,  patience  and  obedience.  Young  Joseph  was  sent  to 
school  when  still  quite  young.  Filled  with  self,  family  and 
race  pride,  and  feeling  grateful  toward  his  parents  for  their 
strenuous  efforts  to  educate  himself,  his  sister  and  brothers, 
and  desiring  to  help  them  in  return,  at  their  consent,  he 
sought  employment  with  a  benevolent  merchant,  who,  after 
noting  his  higher  qualities,  gave  him  every  advantage  and 
privilege  available.  After  three  years  of  pleasant  and  profit- 
able services,  he  left  his  beloved  employer  (Mr.  J.  M.  Man- 
ders),   who  gave  him   a  final   settlement   accompanied  by   a 


116  COLORED  BAPTISTS  OF  ALABAMA. 

worthy  recommendation  and  valuable  presents.  He  is  widely 
experienced  in  mercantile  enterprises. 

He  had  two  years  experience  on  the  United  States  jetty 
and  log  boats  under  Capt.  J.  McKee  Gould,  who  gave  him 
such  an  honorable  and  flattering  recommendation  as  would 
have  been  more  suitable  for  a  pilot  than  for  a  cabin  boy.  .  By 
studying  at  home  and  attending  summer  schools,  he  was 
prepared  to  enter  Selma  University  in  the  session  of  1884, 
remaining  two  scholastic  years.  Under  President  E.  M.  Braw- 
ley,  D.  D.,  he  won  a  prize  for  map-drawing  over  forty-eight 
competitors.  He  has  taught  successfully  in  the  schools  of 
Jefferson  and  other  counties.  Was  four  years  secretary  of  the 
Jefferson  County  Teachers'  Institute.  Re-entered  Selma  Uni- 
versity in  1893,  and  won  the  only  prize  offered  for  drawing 
over  twenty  or  thirty  competitors  under  President  Dinkins, 
D.  D.  He  is  now  preparing  specimens  to  exhibit  at  the  At- 
lanta Cotton  Exposition  in  September. 

He  is  employed  by  the  Monarch  Book  Company,  of  Chi- 
cago, III.  To  know  him,  is  to  know  a  man  possessed  of  a  great 
soul,  affable,  and  naturally  gifted  in  making  friends.  He  is  a 
financier,  ard  is  rapidly  acquiring  means.  As  an  artist  and 
penman,  he  is  a  prodigy.  In  the  session  of  1884  he  was  con- 
verted to  the  Christian  religion,  and  was  baptized  in  the  Uni- 
versity pool  by  Rev.  E.  M.  Brawley,  D.  D.,  and  joined  the  St. 
Phillip  Street  Baptist  Church  under  Rev.  C.  0.  Boothe,  D.  D. 
On  removal  to  Birmingham  in  1886,  he  united  with  the 
Sixteenth  Street  Baptist  Church,  of  which  Rev.  Dr.  Pettiford 
was  pastor. 

Last  term,  he  was  principal  of  the  Oxmoor  public  school. 
He  is  now  corresponding  secretary  of  the  Mt.  Pilgrim  Sunday 
School  Convention.  On  all  lines  of  manhood,  Mr.  Barker  is  a 
genuine  success. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  117 

Barton",  Rev.  J.  P.,  of  Talladega,  comes  of  Virginia 
parentage,  and  was  born  in  Colbert  county,  Ala.,  October,  1844. 

In  1871  he  united  with  the  Little  Zion  Baptist  Church  in 
said  county,  and  was  baptized  by  Rev.  W.  E.  Northcross,  of 
Tuscumbia.  In  1877  he  entered  the  work  of  the  gospel  min- 
istry in  his  native  section,  doing  valuable  service  within  the 
bounds  of  the  Muscle  Shoals  Association,  especially  in  line 
with  the  Sunday  School  work.  He  has  led  to  the  organization 
of  two  Sunday  School  Conventions  and  eight  churches,  and 
built  five  houses  of  worship.  His  speeches  before  our  State 
Convention  have  been  largely  conducive  of  the  sentiment  and 
system  which  have  given  birth  to  our  women's  work  and  State 
mission  operations.  He  has  held  official  positions  in  connec- 
tion with  our  State  Convention  and  University,  and  is  now 
chairman  of  the  Board  of  Visitors  of  the  Colored  Deaf  and 
Dumb  Asylum  of  Alabama.  He  is  easy  in  society  and  pleasing 
in  address.  He  carries  the  youth  and  the  masses,  and  so  uses 
everything  at  his  command  as  to  impress  one  that  he  is  an 
excellent  general  as  well  as  a  successful  pastor.  He  is  full  of 
movement  and  plan,  and  is  quick  of  discernment  and  clear  in 
expression.  He  is  a  lover  of  science.  He  obtained  his  educa- 
tion in  the  Talladega  College.  Mr.  Barton  says  that  he  owes 
much  to  his  wife,  whom  the  writer  would  honor  as  one  of  our 
noble  women.     Mr.  Barton  is  still  full  of  life  and  growth. 

Our  general  work  has  always  found  in  Brother  Barton  a 
ready  and  generous  helper.  He  deserves  credit  for  his  in- 
dustry and  enterprise — in  material  as  well  as  in  church  affairs. 
He  relates  the  following  :  "  In  the  winter  of  1 S76-77  I  chanced 
for  the  first  time  to  meet  the  late  Harry  Woodsmall  in  one  of 
his  Ministers'  Institutes.  He  remarked  :  'On  to-morrow  we 
will  discuss  the  subject  of  sanctification  ;  and  here  is  a  little 
book  worth  only  15  cents  which  will  be  of  service  to  you.'  I 
said  to  myself :     '  What  is  sauctifrcatio/i  .*"     I  never  heard  of 


118  COLORED    BAPTISTS    OF    ALABAMA. 

such  a  thing  before.  I  bought  the  book  from  Brother  Wood- 
small,  and,  coming  upon  my  subject,  I  read  till  late  at  night, 
in  order  that  I  might  be  in  line  with  things  next  day.  When 
the  hour  came  I  was  up  on  the  subject  of  sanctification,  much 
to  the  pleasure  of  the  teacher." 

Mr.  Barton  is  ever  ready  to  contend  for  his  views,  but  is 
remarkably  free  from  bitterness  in  discussion,  is  hardly  ever 
wrong  in  his  opinion  on  things,  and  is  a  remarkably  winning 
preacher  with  the  masses.  Mr.  Barton  is  now  president  of 
our  State  Convention. 

Bacotes,  Rev.  Mr. — As  the  Cyclopedia  goes  to  press  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Bacotes  comes  to  the  charge  of  the  Marion  Academy 
and  Marion  Church.  The  writer  wishes  he  knew  something 
of  the  history  of  one  so  much  favored  and  so  highly  recom- 
mended as  Mr.  Bacotes  is.     He  has  important  trusts  in  hand. 

Battle,  Rev.  Augustus  A.,  of  Hurtsboro,  Russell  county, 
the  son  of  Deacon  A.  A.  and  Mrs.  Jennie  Battle,  was  born  in 
Tuskegee,  July  4,  1860.  As  his  parents  were  pious  people,  he 
was  very  early  the  subject  of  religious  impressions,  which  in 
1881  culminated  in  a  public  profession  of  faith  in  Christ.  On 
the  third  Sunday  in  August  he  was  baptized  by  the  Rev. 
Richard  Lloyd,  of  Georgia.  In  the  year  1879,  aspiring  for  a 
liberal  education,  he  entered  the  Talladega  College,  in  which 
he  graduated  from  the  normal  and  the  theological  courses. 

He  is  a  young  man  of  high  moral  tone,  and  his  agreeable 
manners  have  won  for  him  many  friends.  At  present  he  is 
pastor  at  Sylacauga,  and  teacher  of  the  city  school  in  Tal- 
ladega. 

P.  S. — Since  the  above  was  written,  our  good  Bro.  Battle 
has  been  called  to  the  Mt.  Zion  Church  in  Anniston,and  under 
his  industrious  and  wise  leadership  his  people  have  con- 
structed a  two-story  brick  edifice.    To  do  what  he  has  done 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  119 

in  these  hard  times,  in  the  way  of  raising  and  expending 
money,  is  to  prove  himself  a  man  of  no  ordinary  parts.  The 
writer  has  enjoyed  the  hospitality  of  his  quiet  Christian 
home,  where  he  has  learned  that  the  young  minister  has 
found  helpful  companionship  in  the  person  of  a  modest,  intel- 
ligent wife. 

Batts,  Rev.  J.  H.,  of  Florence,  is  an  aspiring  young  man, 
and  is  very  active  in  the  enterprises  of  the  Muscle  Shoals  As- 
sociation and  Sunday  School  Convention.  Evidently,  he  has 
not  enjoyed  early  access  to  books  and  schools,  but  his  thoughts 
are  orderly  ani  clear,  and  he  does  not  hesitate  to  give  expres- 
sion to  his  views. 

Beavers,  Rev.  Jasper,  was  born  May  9,  1S25,  in  St.  Clair 
county,  Ala.  His  father,  and  mother  were  slaves,  and  of 
course,  he  inherited  their  lot.  He  now  lives  at  Easonville,  in 
the  county  in  which  he  was  born,  and  is  .still  a  useful,  as  well 
as  a  very  pious  man.  In  1851,  he  was  baptized  by  the  Rev. 
Jesse  Collins  (white),  and  in  1868  was  ordained  to  the  work 
of  the  gospel  ministry  by  Revs.  Henry  Wood,  J.  Collins  and 
T.  Bush. 

He  was  the  first  moderator  of  the  Rushing  Springs  As- 
sociation. In  spite  of  the  laws  of  the  master  forbidding  such 
things,  he,  in  slavery  time,  learned  to  read  and  write.  By  his 
industry  and  economy  he  has  obtained  real  estate  worth  about 
$2,000.  Brother  Beavers  is  a  man  of  fine  personal  appear- 
ance, is  modest,  genial,  industrious,  honest,  firm.  In  the 
early  days  of  our  work,  there  was  no  more  efficient  man  in 
St.  Clair  County  than  he.  A  large  family  of  children  are  the 
support  of  his  old  age. 

Since  the  above  was  penned,  Brother  Beavers  has  passed 
to  the  world  that  lies  beyond.  He  was  the  most  self-possessed 
and  of  the  most  commanding  figure  of  any  man  in  the  Rush- 


120  COLORED    BAPTISTS     OF     ALABAMA. 

ing  Springs  Association,  though  no   man   among  them  was 
more  modest  and  humble. 

Belle,  Rev.  Johx,  of  Courtland,  was  born  in  the  State  of 
Georgia  and  came  to  Alabama  after  the  close  of  the  war.  He 
says  :  "  In  Stuart  county,  Ga.,  in  the  first  part  of  1861, 1  fol- 
lowed the  white  preacher  to  his  different  preaching  stations, 
and  he  would  preach  to  the  white  people  in  the  morning  and 
and  I  would  speak  to  the  colored  people  in  the  evening.  I 
could  not  say  anything  about  Moses  and  the  children  of 
Israel. 

"  I  went  on  preaching  without  any  trouble  for  some  little 
time,  till  at  last,  as  I  could  read  a  little,  it  was  decided  that  I 
should  be  hung.  As  I  was  ready  for  execution,  and  as  I  was 
praying  God  for  help,  a  dispute  arose  between  the  white  people 
which  resulted  in  my  release.  I  again  went  on,  till  on  one 
occasion  when  I  had  displeased  my  mistress  with  reference  to 
some  garden  work,  and  when,  as  she  started  to  strike  me 
with  the  rake,  and  I  fled,  she  reported  to  her  husband  that  I 
had  tried  to  kill  her  and  that  she  only  saved  her  life  by  run- 
ning into  the  house  out  of  my  reach.  Of  course,  it  was  de- 
cided at  once  that  I  ought  to  and  should  die.  On  the  night 
before  I  was  to  be  executed,  the  lady  became  very  ill  and 
owned  that  she  was  only  angry  with  me  for  getting  out  of  her 
way,  and  that  I  had  done  nothing.  She  died  that  night. 
However,  her  dying  words  had  set  me  free  and  so  I  returned 
to  my  work  for  God,  feeling  that  1  could  not  die  till  my  work 
should  be  accomplished." 

Brother  Belle  has  labored  in  different  States,  but  his 
principal  labors  have  been  in  Northern  Alabama,  where  he 
has  been  one  of  the  chief  organizers  of  our  woik  in  this  sec- 
tion, beginning  his  operations  here  in  1868. 

It  appears  that  Brother  Belle  was  ordained  in  Helena, 


Sixteenth  Street  Baptist  Church,  Birmingham,  Ala. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  121 

Ark.,  some  time  in  1867,  the  late  Rev.  J.  T.  White,  who  was 
then  pastor  of  the  First  Colored  Baptist  Church,  being  one  of 
the  officiating  presbytery. 

He  is  still  a  strong  man.  For  several  years  past  he  has 
been  pastor  at  Iuka,  Miss.,  and  of  the  Red  Bank  Church  in 
Lawrence  county.  His  pleasant  manners  have  always  made 
him  an  agreeable  companion  to  his  brethren . 

Belsee,  Rev.  S.  L.,  pastor  of  the  First  Church.  Bessemer, 
deserves  the  respect  and  love  of  the  denomination  for  his 
beautiful  brotherly  spirit  and  unassuming  manners. 

Berry,  Rev.  G.  W. — Although  this  good  man  is  no  longer 
among  us,  his  name  is  still  fragrant  with  his  exalted  faith  and 
pious  life.  Like  his  stay  on  earth,  his  stay  in  Alabama  was 
short,  but  useful  and  endearing.  He  was  the  son  of  Pickens 
and  Mary  Berry,  and  was  born  in  Edgefield  county,  S.  C,  in 
1859.  Having  studied  some  time  in  the  Benedict  Institute  in 
that  State,  he,  after  doing  some  effective  work  in  that  State, 
came  to  Alabama  to  take  the  pastoral  oversight  of  the  church 
in  Eufaula.  Here  it  was  that  after  a  short  illness  he  exchanged 
the  cross  for  the  crown,  singing  as  his  soul  retired  from  the 
earth,  "My  Lord  calls  me  and  I  must  go."  To  know  him  was 
to  love  him,  for  his  gentleness  of  spirit  was  beautiful  to  look 
upon. 

Betts,  Rev.  J.  W.,  of  Huntsville,  Ala.,  son  of  John  and 
Edith  Betts,  was  born  June  4,  1851,  near  Courtland,  in  Law- 
rence county,  Ala.  In  the  fall  of  1873  he  was  baptized  into 
the  Courtland  Church  by  the  Rev.  Gabriel  B.  Johnson.  Brother 
Betts  is  among  the  younger  men  of  the  Muscle  Shoals  Asso- 
ciation. He  is  a  clear  thinker  and  a  lover  of  books.  He  is  a 
business  man,  industrious  and  economical,  and  does  not  live 
of  the  donations  of  his  people,  but  the  labors  of  his  own 
hands.     His  style  is  rather  didactic  for  the  masses,  but  it  is 


122  COLORED  BAPTISTS  OF  ALABAMA. 

plain  and  his  doctrine  is  in  line  with  the  teachings  of  the 
"  Good  Book." 

Berry,  Prof.  J.  S.,  son  of  Jack  and  Clara  Berry,  of  Union- 
town,  is  one  among  the  most  proficient  Sunday  School  workers 
in  Alabama.  He  is  president  of  the  Sunday  School  Conven- 
tion of  the  Uniontowh  Association.  His  happy,  unselfish 
spirit  fills  all  his  work  with  pleasantness  and  sunshine.  He 
is  now  about  35  years  of  age. 

Blevins,  Rev.  John,  long  the  leading  man  and  pioneer  of 
Dallas  county,  the  first  pastor  of  the  St.  Phillip  Street  Church 
after  the  close  of  the  war,  was  for  his  opportunities  and  times 
a  very  strong  man  in  the  work  of  organization.  May  it  ever 
be  told  of  him  that  he  led  his  people — his  church,  to  become 
the  foster  mother  of  Selma  University  in  the  time  of  its  in- 
fancy and  weakness.  This  fact  is  one  of  the  brightest  spots 
upon  his  memory,  and  should  never  be  forgotten. 

The  buildings  in  which  the  St.  Phillip  Street  and  the 
Green  Street  Churches  now  worship  were  built  by  Mr.  Blevins. 
He  died  eight  or  ten  years  ago  at  the  age  of  65. 

Bibb,  Rev.  Wm.  T.,  son  of  Linzy  and  Caroline  Bibb,  was 
born  in  Montgomery,  Ala.,  in  1S53.  Brother  Bibb  is  one  of 
the  most  worthy  of  our  rising  young  men.  He  is  not  noted 
for  brilliancy,  but  for  constant  application  in  the  race  for 
knowledge,  for  pushing  things  to  a  finish  in  search  for  truth, 
for  the  purest  life  and  loftiest  piety,  he  is  hardly  to  be  excelled. 
Already  he  has  been  entrusted  with  various  pastorates,  in- 
cluding one  at  Marion  and  another  near  Birmingham.  I  had 
the  best  opportunity  to  learn  him  while  I  was  pastor  at  Selma. 
Here  he  was  superintendent  of  my  Sunday  School  and  aided 
me  in  my  ward  prayer-meetings.  He  completed  two  courses 
at  tbe  Selma  University,  graduating  with  the  title  of  A.  B., 
and  with  the  highest  confidence  of  all  the  faculty.    In  looking 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  123 

upon  his  open  countenance  one  instinctively  feels  the  impress 
of  an  honest,  earnest  man — a  man  free  from  hypocrisy  and 
guile. 

Bradford,  Rev.  William  C,  pastor  of  the  First  Colored 
Baptist  Church,  Union  Springs,  son  of  Henry  and  Elizabeth 
Bradford,  was  born  in  Montgomery,  Ala.,  in  1862.  His  early 
years  were  spent  in  the  Swayne  school  in  said  city,  in  which 
he  succeeded  in  laying  the  foundation  of  a  liberal  English 
education.  In  his  eighteenth  year,  and  two  years  after  his 
father's  death,  he  was  baptized  into  the  fellowship  of  the 
Columbus  Street  Baptist  Church,  Montgomery,  by  the  late 
Rev.  James  A.  Foster.  Feeling  a  call  to  the  work  of  the  gospel 
ministry,  he,  with  a  view  to  fitting  himself  for  this  solemn 
charge,  entered  Atlanta  Theological  Seminary.  In  school  as 
well  as  out  among  his  brethren,  he  has  managed  to  occupy  a 
place  with  those  who  formed  the  van. 

In  the  person  of  his  good  wife,  once  Miss  M.  H.  Allen,  of 
Georgia  (daughter  of  Rev.  T.  M.  Allen,  ex-member  of  the 
Georgia  Legislature),  whom  he  wedded  in  1884,  he  has  found 
happy  and  efficient  help  in  his  studies  as  well  as  in  his  calling. 
For  awhile  Mr.  Bradford  followed  the  tailor's  trade,  but  at  the 
call  of  the  Gilfield  Church  in  Wetumpka,  the  Dexter  Avenue 
Church,  Montgomery,  in  1886  set  him  apart  to  the  work  of  the 
gospel  ministry.  At  Wetumpka  he  built  a  church  edifice 
worth  about  8700.  While  pastor  at  Clayton  he  led  to  the 
erection  of  a  building  worth  $1,000,  and  just  now  is  rejoicing 
with  the  good  people  of  Union  Springs  on  his  entrance  into 
the  new  brick  structure  which  was  dedicated  on  the  second 
Sunday  in  October,  1892.  He  was  principal  of  the  city  school 
while  in  Clayton,  and  now  holds  several  positions  of  honor 
and  trust.  Mr.  Bradford  is  one  of  the  strongest  and  is  among 
the  most  successful  young  men  in  Alabama.  His  affable  man- 
ner commends  him  to  all.     He  is  now  at  Tuscaloosa. 


124  COLORED  BAPTISTS  OF  ALABAMA. 

Brooks,  Rev.  G.  J.,  of  Selma,  Ala.,  son  of  Joseph  and 
Nancy  Brooks,  was  born  in  1830  near  Richmond,  Va.,  in  which 
city  he  lived  till  his  eighteenth  year,  when  he  was  carried  to 
New  Orleans,  La.,  and  from  thence  to  Texas.  1849  was  spent 
in  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  and  in  1850  he  was  brought  to  Huntsville, 
Ala.  In  this  same  year  he  was  baptized  into  the  Primitive 
Baptist  Church  of  Huntsville  by  Rev.  Wm.|  Harris  (colored).* 
Of  this  period  of  his  life  Mr.  Brooks  says:  "By  the  will  of 
a  Mr.  Kenedy  I  was  left  free,  but  as  the  administrator  of  the  will, 
a  Mr.  Clark,  refused  to  execute  this  point  in  the  will,  I  remained 
a  slave."  In  1867  he  united  with  the  Marion  Church,  under 
the  pastorate  of  tne  Rev.  James  Childs.  Near  this  town  he 
taught  school,  till  in  1872  he  went  to  Kentucky,  where,  in 
1873,  he  was  ordained  to  the  work  of  the  ministry.  After 
serving  various  offices  in  the  work  in  Kentucky,  he  came  to 
Selma  in  1875,  where,  after  a  few  years,  he  became  pastor  of 
the  St.  Philip  Street  Church.  By  the  assistance  of  the  white 
family  he  learned  to  read  at  the  age  of  14.  In  Marion  he  ex- 
tended his  studies  under  Prof.  Card,  and  under  Presidents 
Woodsmall,  McAlpine  and  Brawley  he  further  prosecuted  his 
studies  in  the  Selma  University.  Brother  Brooks  has  held 
various  offices  of  trust  under  the  State  Convention  and  the 
Uniontown  Association.  His  health  is  now  rather  below  his 
usual  strength,  but  his  love  for  the  Master's  cause  seems 
nothing  abated.  His  wife,  Mrs.  Anna,  is  among  the  leading 
women  of  Alabama. 

Brown,  Rev.  Lewis,  of  Epes,  Sumter  county,  wras  born 
near  St.  Louis,  Mo..  March  23,  1835,  and  came  to  Alabama  in 
his  tenth  year.  He  united  with  the  church  in  1863,  and  was 
baptized  by  a  Mr.  Edmonds  into  the  fellowship  of  the  Jones' 
Creek  Church,  by  which  church  he  was  called  to  ordination  in 

*  It  appears  that  this  denomination,  Primitive  Baptists,  had  some  one  or  two 
ordained  colored  ministers. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  125 

the  fall  of  1868.  The  chief  persons  in  the  presbytery  were 
Revs.  Abner  Searber  (white)  and  Mr.  Wright.  Mr.  Brown's 
main  pastoral  charges  have  been  Jones'  Creek,  nine  years; 
Sumterville,  thirteen  years;  New  Bethel,  thirteen  years;  and. 
Mount  Olive,  four  years.  He  has  long  been  moderator  of  the 
Bethlehem  Association,  and  is  known  and  recognized  as  a  firm 
and  tried  friend  of  education  and  missions ;  and  his  children 
give  evidence  of  pure  and  wise  aspirations. 

Mr.  Brown  was  married  to  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Brown,  a  slave 
girl  on  the  same  plantation  with  himself,  in  1852.  Seven  sons 
and  one  daughter  are  the  fruit  of  the  marriage.  He  is  a  very 
industrious  and  economical  man,  and  has  possession  of  valua- 
ble property,  worth  815,000.  Seven  or  eight  hundred  acres  of 
his  farm  once  formed  part  of  the  plantation  on  which  he  (with 
500  others)  worked  as  a  slave  till  1865.  He  says  that  his 
master,  Mr.  Brown,  was  a  Christian,  and  that  after  the  close 
of  the  war  this  plantation  gave  to  this  county  most  of  its  reli- 
gious leaders. 

Buhwell,  L.  L.,  M.  D.,  the  son.  of  Charles  and  Amanda 
Bur  well,  was  born  in  Marengo  county,  Ala.,  October  '25,  1867. 
At  the  age  of  seven  years  he  was  given  to  his  brother,  Charles 
A.  Burwell,  of  whom  the  Doctor  says:  "To  him  my  success 
is  largely  due."  For  quite  a  while  he  lived  with  this  brother 
on  a  farm  in  Perry  county.  He  attended  the  county  schools 
till  he  entered  Selma  University  in  the  winter  of  1883-84. 
His  love  for  books  and  his  quickness  of  apprehension  were 
early  manifestations  of  native  talent  which,  if  properly  culti- 
vated, would  unfold  to  his  own  honor  and  to  the  profit  of  his 
people.  Each  vacation  found  him  upon  the  farm,  earning 
money  with  which  to  re-enter  school.  During  his  entire  course 
at  Selma  University  his  mother  was  able  to  spend  upon  him 
but  ?30.  In  18S6,  he  graduated  from  the  above  named  school 
with  the  honors  of  valedictorian,  and  in  the  fall  of  the  same  year 


126  COLORED    BAPTISTS    OF    ALABAMA. 

he  entered  Leonard  Medical  College,  Raleigh,  N.  C,  to  take  a 
course  in  medicine.  The  course  extended  through  four  years, 
but  he  completed  it  and  received  his  diploma  at  the  close  of 
the  third  year,  again  receiving  the  honors  of  valedictorian  of 
his  class.  In  1889,  he  passed  an  examination  before  the  State 
Board  of  Medical  Examiners  of  Alabama,  and  began  the  prac- 
tice of  medicine  in  the  city  of  Selma,  where  he  now  resides 
amidst  many  friends,  a  paying  practice,  and  a  successful  drug 
business.  Commencing  without  a  dollar,  he  has  saved  from 
his  income  about  $4,000.  In  school  he  was  called  artist, 
orator,  scholar.  He  says  :  "As  a  doctor  I  have  for  my  motto  : 
Crurare  Cito." 

Brown,  Rev.  R.  E.,  of  Selma,  the  pushing,  energetic 
leader  of  several  associations,  deserves  honorable  mention  as 
a  man  of  pluck  and  push — a  man  of  courage  and  observation. 

Bynuh,  Rev.  Henry,  of  Leighton,  Ala.,  was  born  in  Bal- 
timore, Md.,  January,  1820.  In  1851,  in  Colbert  county,  Ala., 
he  was  led  to  exercise  faith  in  Christ  by  the  humble  conversa- 
tion and  pious  life  of  a  fellow-slave  by  the  name  of  Isaac.  As 
his  master  did  not  believe  in  the  Bible  and  its  Christianity, 
his  baptism  was  delayed  till  1854.  In  1867  he  was  set  apart 
to  the  office  of  the  gospel  ministry  by  two  white  ministers, 
one  of  whom  was  Dr.  Joseph  Shackelford,  of  Trinity,  Ala.  He 
and  Rev.  Steven  Coleman  were  the  first  ordained  colored 
preachers  in  northern  Alabama.  He  was  married  the  first 
time  in  1857,  but  his  family  were  soon  taken  from  him  and  he 
has  never  seen  them  since.  His  present  wife  is  a  most  excel- 
lent lady,  and  affords  him  that  help  which  only  a  good  woman 
can  bestow.  He  has  good  property,  and  he  and  his  wife  keep 
one  of  the  most  hospitable  homes  in  northern  Alabama.  Bro. 
Bynum  was  the  first  colored  minister  in  this  section  to  ad- 
minister the  rite  of  baptism.  He  is  now  awaiting  his  chaDge 
with  triumphant  hope,  and  still  enjoys  fair  health. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  127 

Caddell,  Rev.  Perry,  pastor  in  Shelby,  Ala.,  son  of  Ed- 
mond  and  Edie  Caddell,  was  born  September  9,  1859,  in  Cen- 
treville,  Bibb  county,  Ala.  He  was  baptized  into  the  Bethel 
Baptist  Church,  Calera,  by  Rev.  John  Trainholm,  in  February, 
1873,  and  was  set  apart  to  the  work  of  the  gospel  ministry, 
December,  1877,  by  Revs.  Henry  Wood  and  Mack  Jackson. 
He  learned  his  letters  at  the  age  of  12  years,  and,  though  he 
has  never  had  any  help  from  teachers  except  such  as  he  could 
get  at  night  school,  he  has  been  a  steadily  growing  man  till 
the  present  time.  He  feels  that  he  owes  his  beginning  in 
letters  to  his  mistress  (Mrs.  Caddell),  who,  after  the  close  of 
the  war,  taught  him  to  read,  and  to  write  his  name.  Of  his 
father  he  says  :  "  He  was,  no  doubt,  a  believer ;  but  in  slavery 
time  he  refused  to  unite  with  the  church  for  the  reason  that 
he  felt  that  master  and  slave  all  the  week  could  not  be  broth- 
ers on  Sunday.  And  after  the  close  of  the  war,  he  would  not 
join  for  the  reason  that  there  was  no  colored  Baptist  church 
near  his  home." 

Bro.  Caddell  is  an  exemplary  man  in  his  family.  I  have 
found  no  family  where  the  mother  and  children  study  the 
Word  of  God  with  more  system  and  regularity.  lie  has  a 
ready  command  of  language,  both  in  speech  and  with  pen, 
and  is  sociable  and  genial  everywhere. 

Capers,  Rev.  J.  R.,  of  Elyton  (since  gone  to  Oklahoma), 
was  born  in  Camden,  S.  C,  April  22,  1828.  In  1845  he  was 
baptized  into  the  Marion  Baptist  Church  (white)  by  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Devotie,  and  in  1869  he  was  solemnly  set  apart  to  the 
sacred  office  of  the  gospel  ministry  by  Revs.  Henry  Wood,  of 
Talladega,  and  Arthur  Hall,  of  Jonesboro.  He,  with  Revs.  W. 
H.  McAlpine,  Berry  Ware,  Jasper  Beavers,  and  others,  organ- 
ized the  Mt.  Pilgrim  Association,  in  Mt.  Pilgrim  Church,  in 
1868.  Of  this  association  he  was  the  moderator  for  eleven 
years.     Bro.  Capers  is  known  among  his  brethren  and  neigh- 


128  COLORED  BAPTISTS  OF  ALABAMA. 

bors  as  an  intelligent,  industrious,  thoughtful,  faithful,  Chris- 
tian man  and  earnest  gospel  preacher.  He  is  a  successful 
carpenter,  and  by  industry,  skill  and  economy  has  attained  to 
the  possession  of  a  good  deal  of  choice  property.  No  doubt 
he  owes  much  to  his  good  wife,  whom  he  married  in  1850, 
and  by  whom  he  has  a  large  family  of  thrifty  children.  Bro. 
Capers  was  an  organizer  in  the  Jefferson  county  work,  and 
has  left  the  impress  of  his  decided  character  upon  the  workers 
of  this  section.     He  is  now  in  Oklahoma  Territory. 

Chapman,  Rev.  F.  A.,  of  Flint,  Morgan  county,  Ala.,  was 
born  in  the  county  and  State  in  which  he  now  lives,  Novem- 
ber 12,  1843.  In  1861  he  was  baptized  into  the  Sand  Hill 
Church  by  Rev.  M.  A.  Verser,  and  in  April,  1868,  he  was  set 
apart  to  the  work  of  the  gospel  ministry  by  a  presbytery 
which  was  presided  over  by  the  brother  who  about  eight  years 
before  had  administered  the  rite  of  baptism. 

Mr.  Chapman  is  one  of  the  most  sober,  quiet,  pious,  earn- 
est, hard-working  preachers  in  the  valley  of  the  Tennessee 
river.  He  aided  in  the  organization  of  the  Muscle  Shoals  and 
Flint  River  Associations.  Most  of  his  time  has  been  spent  in 
mission  and  pioneer  operations.  In  1868  he  was  wedded  to 
Miss  Alabama  Garth,  by  whom  he  has  a  large  family  of  inter- 
esting children.  Their  home  is  a  retreat  for  weary  preachers 
and  a  Christian  example  in  their  community. 

In  a  speech  which  he  made  before  our  our  last  State 
Convention,  he  said:  "The  brethren  ordained  me  in  1868, 
not  because  of  my  fitness  for  the  work,  but  in  recognition  of 
a  necessity.  There  was  need  for  a  Negro  to  baptize  Negro 
believers,  and  I  was  chosen  as  an  answer  to  this  want  with- 
out any  examination." 

Chandler,  Rev.  F.  C,  is  pastor  of  Walnut  Street  Church, 
Rosedale,  and  bears  a  good  name. 


Rev.  S.  L.  Belser,   Pastor  Red  Mountain  Baptist  Church,  Bessemer,  Ala. 


130  COLORED    BAPTISTS    OF    ALABAMA. 

Clark,  Rev.  Henry,  of  Opelika,  son  of  David  and  Pa- 
tience Clark,  both  of  Virginia  birth,  is  one  of  the  fathers  of 
the  work  in  Lee  county. 

Brother  Clark  was  baptized  at  Auburn,  Ala.,  by  Rev.  H. 
C.  Toliver,  of  Tuskegee,  in  1860.  He  was  set  apart  to  the 
work  of  the  gospel  ministry  June  27,  1868,  by  Revs.  W.  E. 
Lloyd,  D.  D.,  and  Thomas  Glenn,  since  which  time  he  has 
been  busy  going  about  and  doing  good.  He  has  been  a  harm- 
less, industrious,  pioneer  preacher,  laying  foundations  upon 
which  others  have  builded.  He  is  a  tried  and  faithful  friend 
of  missions  and  education.  The  writer  has  always  felt  that 
his  every  pledge  was  worth  every  cent  it  promised.  Notwith-. 
standing  he  has  had  no  educational  advantages,  still  he  has, 
by  study  of  books  and  by  association  with  men  of  letters,  ob- 
tained no  inconsiderable  store  of  knowledge. 

The  churches  of  Lee  county  and  the  Alabama  Association 
owe  much  to  the  faithful,  efficient  labors  of  Brother  Clark. 
His  loving  heart  ever  adorns  his  face  with  the  smiles  of  peace 
and  good  will.  Truly,  he  is  a  harmless  man,  ever  ready  to  do 
a  brotherly  deed. 

Colley,  Rev.  Moses,  of  Talladega,  son  of  Rev.  Boney 
Sawyer,  who  was  a  preacher  over  fifty  years  ago,  is  about  55 
years  of  age.  He  has  never  had  any  school  advantages,  but 
has  attained  to  a  fair  knowledge  of  books.  He  is  a  remark- 
aby  clear  headed  man,  dignified  and  self-possessed.  Mr.  Col- 
ley is  a  hard  working,  successful  farmer,  and  by  this  calling, 
he  has  obtained  a  comfortable  support  for  himself  and  family. 
He  was  baptized  by  Dr.  Renfroe  in  1856,  and  was  ordained  to 
the  ministry  in  1872.  He  held  several  important  pastorates 
in  Talladega,  and  was  once  moderator  of  Rushing  Springs 
Association.  He  is  guarded  in  speech,  but  his  manners  are 
always  affable.     No  act  of  folly  or  crime  mars  his  good  name. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  131 

For  many  years  he  has  held  the  pastorate  at  Mardisville, 
where  he  is  esteemed  no  less  for  his  piety  than  for  his  sound 
doctrine. 

Collixs,  Rev.  Asa  Cyrus,  of  Hazen,  Ala.,  was  born 
November  1,  1861,  in  Dallas  county  of  this  State.  Lost  both 
parents  at  the  age  of  8  years.  Was  baptized  by  Rev.  A.  Wal- 
ler in  his  sixteenth  year,  and  soon  began  preaching.  In 
September,  1881,  he  was  officially  set  apart  to  the  work  of  the 
gospel  ministry.  Mr.  Collins  has  been  pastor  at  various  points, 
and  is  held  in  high  esteem  by  his  brethren.  For  several  years 
he  has  been  moderator  of  the  Dallas  County  Association,  over 
which  he  presides  with  credit  to  himself  and  with  pleasure  to 
the  body.     Brother  Collins  is  still  a  rising  young  man. 

Curry,  Rev.  J.  C,  of  Mount  Meigs.  Montgomery  county, 
the  son  of  Rev.  Philip  and  Venus  Curry,  was  born  in  Marion, 
Ala.,  October  17,  1852.  He  was  baptized  at  Felix,  Ala.,  by 
Rev.  D.  R.  Willis  in  1873.  On  the  occasion  of  his  call  to  the 
pastorate  of  the  Friendship  Church,  Shelby,  Ala.,  he  was 
ordained  to  the  work  of  the  gospel  ministry  by  Revs.  P.  Cad- 
dell,  M.  Jackson,  and  Henry  Scott.  Mr.  Curry  is  liberally 
educated,  having  been  among  the  first  students  of  Selma 
University.  He  is  a  close,  clear  thinker,  a  forcible  speaker 
and  a  good  preacher.  He  has  been  pastor  at  Shelby,  pastor  of 
the  Dexter  Avenue  Church,  Montgomery,  and  is  now  pastor 
at  Mt.  Meigs  and  Tuskegee. 

At  different  times  he  has  been  engaged  in  the  newspaper 
business;  and  I  am  informed  that  he  is  now  assisting  Prof.  B. 
T.Washington  in  collecting  certain  statistics  for  the  Tuskegee 
school.  Mr.  Curry  is  a  man  of  rare  energy  and  will  force, 
and  being  endowed  with  good  intellectual  gifts  there  is  no 
reason  why  he  may  not  become  one  among  the  strongest  men 
of  the  State. 


132  COLORED  BAPTISTS  OF  ALABAMA. 

Curtis,  Hon.  A.  H.,  of  Marion,  Ala.,  was  born  in  Raleigh, 
N.  C,  December  29,  1829.  He  came  to  Alabama  in  1839  with 
the  Haywood  family.  He  was  the  property  (?)  of  E.  Haywood, 
and  served  as  a  waiting  boy  in  the  store  of  Stockton  &  Hunt 
for  many  years.  He  moved  to  Marion  in  1848  and  was  the 
body  servant  of  R.  T.  Goree  for  two  years.  After  this  he  was 
barber  for  some  years.  Succeeding  by  industry  and  economy 
in  obtaining  some  cash,  he,  in  1859,  paid  Mrs.  K.  Haywood 
$2,000  for  his  freedom,  and  during  the  same  year  went  to  New 
York  and  was  emancipated.  After  the  war  he  engaged  in 
mercantile  pursuits  and  the  barber  business.  In  1870  he  was 
elected  to  the  lower  house  of  the  General  Assembly  of  Alabama, 
and  in  1872  he  was  elected  State  Senator  from  the  Twenty- 
second  senatorial  district.  No  other  colored  man  ever  pre- 
sided over  the  Senate  of  Alabama.  He  was  connected  with 
the  legislature  of  the  State  for  eight  years,  and  not  only  en- 
joyed the  respect  of  his  fellow  legislators  of  all  parties  but 
closed  his  service  in  this  connection  with  growing  confidence 
in  his  integrity.  He  was  baptized  in  1851.  In  1850  his  mar- 
riage occurred.  His  wife  was  a  suitable  helper  for  him  and  is 
still  alive  enjoying  the  honors  and  success  which  justly  crown 
their  offspring.  The  Curtis  brothers  and  sisters  are  a  praise 
to  their  parents.  The  senator  was  a  strong  man  in  society,  in 
church,  in  State.  He  died  near  Marion,  July  20,  1878,  as  the 
result  of  a  bruise  from  a  fall  from  his  buggy.  Three  of  his 
sons  are  successful  physicians;  two  are  north;  Dr.  A.  J. 
Curtis  is  in  Montgomery. 

Davis,  Rev.  Philip,  late  of  Talladega,  was  born  in  1813, 
in  the  State  of  Virginia,  near  the  North  Carolina  line.  He 
was  baptized  in  1841,  and  about  the  year  1843  he  began  to 
speak  to  his  neighbors  of  the  doctrines  and  hope  of  the  gospel. 
Early  in  life  he  married,  and  became  the  father  of  a  large 
iamily.     After  he  was  brought  to  Calhoun  county,  Ala.,  be 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  133 

continued  his  labors  in  the  ministry  of  the  gospel,  as  he  had 
opportunity,  constantly  increasing  in  favor  with  both  God 
and  man;  and  this  was  true  of  him  to  the  day  of  his  death, 
which  occurred  December  30,  1881.  I  first  met  this  pious 
man  in  December,  1875,  in  Talladega.  He  was  not  a  learned 
man,  but  he  knew  the  holy  scriptures,  and  was  wise  in  the 
things  of  salvation.  The  more  he  was  known  the  better  he 
was  loved;  and  his  unassuming, gentle,  chastened,  self-forget- 
ting spirit,  as  exhibited  at  home  and  abroad,  was  simply 
charming.  As  I  have  looked  upon  this  unmixed,  full-blooded 
representative  of  the  Negro  race,  arrayed  in  the  beauty  of  the 
Christian  spirit,  I  have  felt  proud  of  him  as  a  witness  for  my 
people.  He  was  not  fully  installed  in  the  ministry  until  the 
close  of  the  war.  The  late  Dr.  J.  J.  D.  Renfroe  was  the  lead- 
ing man  in  the  presbytery  who  officially  set  him  apart  to  the 
sacred  office.  His  last  words  were:  "Like  one  of  old,  I  have 
finished  my  course  and  am  now  ready  to  be  offered,  and  the 
time  of  my  departure  is  come."  He  left  a  pleasant  home  for 
his  family. 

Davis,  Rev.  C.  M.,  of  Flint,  Morgan  county,  was  born  in 
the  State  of  Tennessee.  He  was  led  to  faith  in  Christ  and 
was  baptized  by  the  Rev.  F.  A.  Chapman.  He  says  that  his 
early  life  was  rather  wild,  but  when  his  eyes  were  opened  he 
turned  with  all  his  heart.  In  1885,  in  May,  he  was  set  apart 
to  the  ministry  by  Eevs.  F.  A.  Chapman  and  C.  C.  Matthews. 
Mr.  Davis  is  one  among  the  most  promising  young  men  in  the 
Flint  River  Association.  He  is  a  discerning,  aspiring  man, 
who  believes  in  studying  to  know  the  truth,  so  that  he  may 
not  have  reason  to  feel  ashamed  of  his  teaching,  nor  spend  his 
time  and  energies  without  producing  effects.  The  writer  had 
special  opportunity  to  know  him  at  the  State  school,  wheie 

|  the  former  was  teacher  and  the  latter  was  student.     He  is 

ji  clear-headed,  kind  and  conscientious. 


134  COLORED  BAPTISTS  OF  ALABAMA. 

Dawson,  Rev.  Iverson,  of  Eutaw,  is  a  man  rich  in  nat- 
ural endowments,  both  of  body  and  mind.  Upon  no  man  in 
Alabama  has  nature  been  more  profuse  in  the  bestowment  of 
choice  gifts.  He  is  tall,  well  proportioned,  kind  hearted,  ge- 
nial, sociable,  magnetic,  clear-headed  and  ever  sanguine.  He 
is,  no  doubt,  the  strongest  man  in  the  Bethlehem  Association-, 
of  which  body  he  has  been  clerk  for  many  years  ;  and  in 
every  section  of  the  State,  and  in  every  phase  of  business,  he 
is  recognized  as  a  man  of  power  and  character.  As  a  pub- 1- 
lic  speaker,  he  is  both  pleasing  and  instructive. 

The  vote,  which  in  1887  retained  our  university  at  Selma, 
was  largely  owing  to  his  influence  and  labors. 

Mr.  Dawson  has  a  pleasant  home  and  an  interesting 
family  in  the  town  of  Eutaw,  where  he  now  serves  as  pastor. 
His  home  is  placed  on  the  roll  of  asylums  for  tired  missionaries. 
He  is  a  brave,  fearless  opponent  and  a  true  and  trusty  friend. 
At  this  time,  he  is  editing  a  paper  in  his  town  in  the  interest 
of  the  republican  party.  The  writer  sincerely  wishes  that 
every  motion  of  his  strong  manhood  might  be  laid  wholly 
upon  the  church's  altar,  and  that  he  could  consent  to  leave  the 
running  of  political  papers  to  others. 

Dinkins,  Chables  Spencer,  D.  D.,  general  Sunday  School 
missionary  of  Alabama  for  the  American  Baptist  Publication 
Society,  was  born  September  15,  1856,  near  Canton,  Miss.  Mr. 
Dinkins  never  knew  his  father,  and  his  mother,  Mrs.  Sarah 
Dinkins,  died  when  he  was  only  13  years  of  age.  One  year 
prior  to  her  death,  he  was  led  to  faith  in  the  salvation  of  God  . 
as  presented  in  the  gospel,  under  the  preaching  of  Rev.  Jor- 
dan Williams,  by  whom  he  was  baptized  into  the  fellowship 
of  the  Mount  Zion  Church,  Canton,  in  the  fall  of  1868.  For 
such  a  boy,  at  such  a  time,  to  make  the  favorable  acquaintance  ' 
of  such  a   man  as  Mr.  Williams,  was  a  peculiar  providence.  - 

y 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  135 

As  in  the  cases  of  Saul  and  Ananias,  and  Philip  and  the 
eunuch,  God  brought  the  parties  together. 

Mr.  Williams,  perceiving  the  superior  talents  of  the 
youth,  privately  inquired  of  him  whether  or  not  he  desired  to 
educate  himself,  and  when  the  affirmative  reply  was  obtained, 
be  at  once  influenced  his  church  to  provide  the  means. 

On  Friday  night,  January  28,  1870,  Mr.  Dinkins  took  the 
cars  for  Nashville,  Tenn.,  arriving  at  that  point  on  Sunday 
-  morning.  That  day  he  met  the  good  Dr.  Phillips,  who  cor- 
dially accepted  him  at  once,  and  remained  his  admiring  friend 
to  the  close  of  his  (Dr.  Phillip's)  long  and  useful  life. 

In  referring  to  his  early  life,  Mr.  Dinkins  says  :  "  When 
I  was  9  years  old,  my  mother  bought  me  a  blue  back  speller 
and  taught  me  the  alphabet,  which  I  learned  in  one  night. 
My  first  teachers  were  Mrs.  and  Miss  Highgate,  of  Philadel- 
phia, and  Hon.  J.  J.  Spellman,  now  of  Jackson,  Miss.  Before 
leaving  the  old  plantation,  I  saw  something  of  the  horrors  of 
slavery,  which  I  can  never  forget." 

At  the  age  of  16  he  began  teaching,  which  work  he  pur- 
sued during  summer,  returning  to  Nashville  to  continue  his 
studies  in  the  fall  and  winter.  He  graduated  from  the  classical 
course  of  the  Roger  Williams  University,  Nashville,  in  the 
spring  of  1877,  as  valedictorian  of  his  class,  among  whom 
were  Messrs.  N.  H.  Ensley  and  H.  M.  G.  Spenser.  In  1878  he 
returned  to  take  a  post-graduate  course  and  was  appointed  a 
member  of  the  faculty.  In  the  latter  part  of  this  same  year 
he  entered  Newton  Theological  Seminary,  near  Boston,  Mass., 
•  where,  during  the  time  of  a  full  course,  from  which  he  gradu- 
ated in  1881,  he  was  associated  with  some  of  the  most  promi- 
nent educators  of  the  country.  In  this  course  he  took  theology, 
church  history,  Hebrew,  Greek,  homiletics,  etc.  How  Mr. 
Dinkins  was  seen  by  this  institution,  the  following  story  may 
be  allowed  to  signify  : 


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Dr.  U.  (t.  Mason.   Physician  and  Surgeon,  Birmingham,  Ala. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  137 

Just  before  the  death  of  Dr.  Phillips,  the  writer  met  him 
in  Nashville. 

Dr.  Phillips — How  is  Brother  Dinkins? 

The  Writer — He  is  well  and  doing  well. 

Dr.  P. — He  is  a  very  capable  and  worthy  person.  Dr. 
Hovey,  the  president  of  Newton,  said  to  me  on  one  occasion 
when  I  asked  after  some  students  who  had  gone  from  us  to 

him,   "Mr. is   very   sensitive,  but   Mr.  Dinkins   is   very 

sensible.''''  ^ 

.'.  Dr.  Dinkins  has  held  various  prominent  positions,  amoDg 
which  may  be  mentioned  :  Member  of  the  faculty  of  the  State 
University  of  Kentucky;  pastor  York  Street  Church,  Louis- 
ville, Ky.;  teacher  of  languages  in  Selma  University ;  pastor 
Second  Baptist  Church  of  Marion,  Ala.;  and  principal  of  the 
Marion  Baptist  Academy  ;  and  has  been  tendered  the  presi- 
dency of  the  University  of  Kentucky,  and  many  times  he  has 
-been  earnestly  solicited  to  return  to  the  faculty  of  Selma 
University.  His  examination  for  ordination  before  the  minis- 
ters of  Louisville,  Ky..  in  1883,  was  an  occasion  of  much  com- 
ment, by  both  white  and  colored  pastors,  in  praise  of  his 
ability.  The  writer  has  had  occasion  to  watch  him  very 
closely  since  his  entrance  upon  work  in  Alabama,  and  he  does 
not  hesitate  to  write  that  Charles  S.  Dinkins,  in  point  of 
scholarship,  industry  and  high  sense  of  honor,  is  not  excelled 
by  any  man  we  have  had  among  us.  In  1890  the  State  Uni- 
versity of.  Louisville,  Ky.,  then  under  the  presidency  of  the 
late  Dr.  W.  J.  Simmons,  conferred  on  him  the  title  of  D.  D. 
On  the  day  which  closed  his  twenty-fifth  year,  the  15th  day  of 
September,  1881,  he  was  wedded  to  Miss  Pauline  E.  Fears,  the 
friend  and  classmate  of  Miss  M.  A.  Roach  (now  Mrs.  M.  A. 
Boothe),  by  his  fatherly  instructor  and  faithful  friend,  Dr.  D. 
W.  Phillips.  The  marriage  took  place  in  the  Roger  Williams 
University,  Nashville,  Tenn.,  a  school  of  which  they  are.  both 


138  COLORED    BAPTISTS    OF    ALABAMA' 

graduates.  Perhaps  some  future  historian  will  write  of  Mr. 
Dinkins:  "An  eventful  life,  not  the  least  eventful  point  in 
which  is  the  finding  and  wedding  of  a  woman  so  well  suited 
to  a  man  of  such  rare  gifts." 

Five  children — two  boys  and  three  girls — grace  their 
home  as  the  fruit  of  the  marriage. 

Closing  this  sketch,  the  writer  would  remark  that  if  Mr. 
Dinkins  has  a  fault,  it  may  be  described  thus :  An  exceeding 
tenderness  of  conscience,  whereby  one  may  be  so  entirely 
possessed  by  present  views  of  law  and  duty  as  to  forget  that 
new  light  and  other  views  may  modify  appearances. 

P.  S.— He  is  now  the  trusted  president  of  Selma  Univer- 
sity, and  none  of  his  predecessors  have  made,  in  the  same 
length  of  time,  a  better  mark  than  he  has  made.  His  person- 
ality moves  in  lofty  purposes  and  is  a  source  of  pure  thoughts 
and  pious  emotions  which  affect  all  his  surroundings. 

Dosier,  Rev.  John,  the  founder  and  for  twenty  years 
pastor  of  the  church  in  Uniontown,  was  a  man  of  great  moral 
worth.  I  once  heard  a  politician  who  was  associated  with 
him  in  the  legislature  of  Alabama,  remark  : 

"John  Dosier  was  an  honorable  man  everywhere^  and  I 
never  saw  a  man  who  did  not  believe  every  tcord  he  said.'''' 

He,  like  Mr.  A.  H.  Curtis,  passed  through  his  political 
preferments  with  stainless  reputation. 

He  was  a  very  old  man  at  the  time  of  his  death,  which 
occurred  only  a  few  years  ago.  He  was  born  somewhere  near 
the  beginning  of  the  present  century.  By  some  means  he, 
during  the  days  of  his  bondage,  learned  to  read  Greek,  which 
knowledge  he  turned  to  good  results  upon  his  study  and  in- 
terpretation of  the  Scriptures.  He  was  one  of  Alabama's 
most  worthy  pioneers.  He  was  a  temperance  man.  Upon 
one  occasion  in  a  session  of -the  Uniontown  Association,  some 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  139 

one  complained  that  he  smelled  a  very  disagreeable  whiskey 
odor  in  the  house. 

Mr.  Dosier  remarked  :  "  With  the  consent  of  the  body  I 
will  find  the  man  who  has  been  drinking."  It  was  agreed 
that  he  might  make  the  search.  Accordingly,  he  passed  from 
man  to  man,  requesting  that  he  might  smell  his  breath.  He 
located  the  man,  who,  for  lying  about  it,  was  excluded  from 
the  body. 

The  writer  never  met  a  man  for  whose  veracity  he  had  a 
higher  regard. 

Donald,  Rev.  R.,  of  Birmingham,  was  born  in  Alabama 
June  10, 1854.  He  is  the  founder  of  the  Tabernacle  Church, 
Birmingham,  and  the  builder  of  the  First  Church,  Pratt 
Mines.  He  has  worked  hard  and  sacrificed  much  for  the 
cause.  His  name  will  remain  in  many  churches.  He  owes 
much  to  his  noble, "patient  wife. 

Edwards,  Rev.  A.  J.,  of  Lowndes  county,  is  a  teacher  as 
well  as  a  preacher,  and  in  different  sections  of  the  State  he 
has  labored  with  good  results  in  the  interest  of  morality,  edu- 
cation and  religion.  Mr.  Edwards  is  blessed  with  much  body 
as  well  as  with  much  soul.  Good  health  and  jovial  spirits 
abound,  and  hence  he  is  ever  an  enjoyable  companion.  He  is 
still  a  young  man,  full  of  manly  pride,  commendable  ambi- 
tion, and  a  love  for  the  pure  and  charitable,  in  view  of  which 
we  may  hope  that  his  day  is  only  in  its  dawning,  and  that  a 
brighter  noon  and  evening  are  before  him. 

Ellis,  Rev.  Hexry,  of  Flint.  Morgan  county,  son  of  Wil- 
liam and  Martha  Ellis,  was  born  in  May,  1856.  He  was  bap- 
tized in  1871,  and  in  1S75  he  was  ordained  to  the  ministry  by 
Revs.  Charles  Davis  and  M.  J.  Hooks.  He  is  now  pastor  of 
St.  Peter's  Church,  which  is  composed  of  some  of  Morgan 
county's  best  citizens.      He  deserves  special  praise  for  bis  at- 


140  COLORED  BAPTISTS  OF  ALABAMA. 

tention  to  his  Sunday  School.  Mr.  Ellis  also  preaches  to  a 
church  near  Courtland.  This  brother  is  a  warm  friend  to 
missionaries  and  delights  to  aid  good  causes. 

Fisher,  Rev.  C.  L.,  B.  D.,  son  of  Alexander  and  Elizabeth 
Fisher,  was  born  in  St.  Bernard  parish,  twenty  miles  below 
New  Orleans,- La.,  February  16,  1866. 

On  the  first  Sunday  in  February,  1875,  he  was  baptized 
into  the  Broadway  Street  Baptist  Church,  New  Orleans,  La. 

Ordained — He  was  set  apart  to  the  work  of  the  gospel 
ministry  by  the  Second  Baptist  Church  in  Evanston,  111., 
September  29,  1887,  where  he  was  student-pastor. 

Educated — He  graduated  from  the  college  department  of 
Leland  University,  New  Orleans,  La.,  May  28,  1884,  with  the 
degree  of  B.  A.,  and  graduated  from  the  Baptist  Union  Theo- 
logical Seminary,  Morgan  Park,  111.,  May*  5,  1887,  with  the 
degree  of  B.  D.  On  May  27,  1891,  he  received  from  Leland 
University  the  degree  of  Master  of  Arts. 

Positions — In  1888  pastor  of  Mt.  Zion  Church,  Little 
Rock,  Ark.  In  1889-92  he  is  teacher  of  languages  and  in- 
structor of  ministers  in  Selma  University,  Selma,  Ala.  For 
the  last  two  years  of  this  time  he  is  pastor  of  the  Tabernacle 
Church  of  the  city  of  Selma.  In  the  office  of  State  Sunday 
School  Missionary,  under  the  American  Baptist  Publication 
Society  of  Philadelphia,  he  has  for  several  years  rendered  very 
profitable  service  for  the  Baptists  of  Alabama  as  well  as  Mis- 
sissippi. He  has  recently  been  recalled  to  the  pastorate  of  the 
Tabernacle  Church,  Selma. 

Than  is  Charles  Lewis  Fisher,  Alabama  Baptists  have  no 
more  thorough  scholar,  profound  logician  and  industrious 
pastor.  His  physical  form  is  a  little  frail.  Should  this  noc 
hinder  length  of  days,  early  future  years  must  present  him  to 
the  world  as  one  of  our  greatest  theologians  and  metaphysi- 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  141 

cians.     He  is  not  less  modest  than  he  is  learned,  not  less 
benevolent  and  respectful  than  he  is  self-reliant  and  dignified. 

Fykes,  Rev.  A.  J.,  of  Pratt  City,  is  the  much  beloved 
pastor  of  the  Canaan  Church,  Bessemer. 

Fluker,  Rev.  Solomon,  of  Sylacauga,  Talladega  county, 
was  born  in  March,  1833;  was  baptized  in  1866  by  a  Rev.  Mr. 
Smith  (white),  of  Talladega.  He  soon  began  to  preach,  and 
ere  long  he  bad  become  a  leading  minister  in  his  section  of 
the  country.  For  nine  years  he  was  pastor  of  the  church  in 
his  town.  He  is  a  very  meek,  unassuming  man,  careful  for 
the  welfare  of  his  family,  and  hospitable  towards  his  brethren. 
Of  late  he  has  been  a  great  but  patient  sufferer* and  hence  has 
been  compelled  to  cease  from  active  labors  in  the  ministry. 
We  owe  much  of  our  success  in  this  section  of  the  State  to 
the  industry  and  exemplary  character  of  this  faithful  man. 
He  has  left  the  cross  for  the  crown. 

Foster,  Rev.  L.  P.,  of  Selma.  was  baptized  by  Rev.  Jerry 
Shorter  in  Eufaula  in  1876.  Mr.  Foster,  some  time  after  his 
marriage  and  mature  manhood,  moved  to  Selma  and  gradu- 
ated from  the  normal  course  of  Selma  University.  He  is  a 
stirring,  industrious,  self-reliant  man,  who  purposes  to  make 
his  own  way  in  the  world  without  striding  the  back  of  any 
other  man.  He  has  occupied  different  pastorates  and  has 
served  as  missionary  of  the  Eufaula  Association.  He  has  a 
comfortable  home — free  of  debt — and  lends  a  helping  hand  to 
missionary  and  educational  enterprises. 

Foster,  Rev.  James  A.,  late  of  Montgomery,  was  born  in 
the  State  of  Kentucky,  in  which  he  grew  to  young  manhood. 
He  died  in  the  city  of  Montgomery  in  December  of  1891 — 
died  as  he  had  lived,  in  love  and  honor  with  men  and  in  peace 
with  God.     Twenty-five  of  his  fifty-four  years  had  been  spent 


142  COLORED  BAPTISTS  OF  ALABAMA. 

in  the  gospel  ministry,  from  the  sacred  offices  of  which  he  re- 
tired in  great  joy.  He  was  ordained  to  the  work  of  the  gospel 
ministry  by  Kevs.  I.  T.  Tichenor,  D.  D.,  Nathan  Ashby  and 
Jacob  Bellser,  in  the  city  of  Montgomery,  in  the  year  1867. 
His  first  pastoral  charge  was  the  church  at  Mt.  Meigs,  which 
he  served  till  he  resigned  to  accept  the  call  of  the  Columbus 
Street  Church  in  1871.  He  was  the  first  recording  secretary 
of  the  State  Convention,  and  was  the  next  man  to  Mr.  Ashby 
to  preside  over  the  Convention  as  president.  He  was  trustee 
of  the  State  Normal  and  Swayne  Schools,  and  moderator  of 
the  Spring  Hill  Association. 

Mr.  Foster  was  a  man  whom  nature  had  variously  and 
richly  endowe'd.  Had  he  possessed  early  educational  advan- 
tages— advantages  suited  to  his  rich  natural  resources — he 
would  have  held  a  place  among  the  sons  of  the  giants.  His 
sermons  were  always  earnest,  and  frequently  his  vast  audi- 
ences were  melted  into  weeping  by  a  pathos  that  was  as  mys- 
terious as  it  was  mighty.  He  was  loved,  honored,  followed, 
and  obeyed.  In  the  two  churches  in  which  he  was  pastor  he, 
it  is  said,  baptized  10,000  persons,  married  600  couples,  and 
preached  4,000  sermons.  His  loving,  courtly  manners  won 
and  maintained  for  him  such  a  tender  regard  as  few  men  ever 
possess.  Nor  was  this  confined  to  his  own  flock  and  race,  but 
it  was  shared  more  or  less  by  the  whole  people,  white  and 
black.     The  following  will  show  something  of  his  liberality  : 

"Montgomery.  May  — ,  1891. 
"Dear  Bro.  JBoothe :     On  hearing  that  you  need  some 
money  for  your  work,  I  look  over  my  account  with  the  Lord 
and  find  that  I  owe  him  five  dollars.    Enclosed  you  will  find 
this  amount.     May  God  bless  you." 

The  last  letter  I  received  from  him,  one  month  before  his 
death,  contained  a  donation  to  the  mission  work. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  143 

His  wife  says  of  him:  "Some  time  before  his  sickness, 
he  talked  of  nothing  but  heaven.  I  could  plainly  see  that  his 
mind  had  left  the  world.  J  tried  to  interest  him  in  house  and 
home  affairs*  but  he  would  talk  of  nothing  but  of  God's  grace 
and  of  the  home  of  the  saints." 

He  was  a  model  husband  and  father,  and  is  sadly  missed 
from  his  home,  as  well  as  from  his  church  and  community.  A 
good  man  has  gone  from  labor  to  reward — from  cross  to  crown. 
He  was  thoughtful  of  the  welfare  of  his  loved  ones,  and  hence 
carried  an  insurance  on  his  life,  the  payment  of  which  has 
rendered  them  some  assistance  since  his  death. 

He  was  one  of  the  original  incorporators  of  Selma  Uni- 
versity, and  was  a  life  member  of  the  Home  Mission  Society. 

"Servant  of  God,  well  done; 
Rest  from  thy  sweet  employ." 

Forbes,  Rev.  W.  R.,  now  of  Columbus,  Ga.,  is  still  asso- 
ciated with  our  Alabama  work.  He  is  now  about  37  years  of 
age,  is  possessed  of  a  fine  personal  appearance,  is  affable,  stu- 
dious, sociable  and  industrious.  He  is  a  Virginian  by  birth 
and  came  to  Alabama  in  18S9  to  begin  woik  at  Clay  ten  and 
Eufaula. 

Fraxklix,  Rev.  Samuel,  of  Mt  Meigs,  was  born  June  4, 
1849.  He  was  converted  to  the  Christian  faith  January,  1866, 
and  ordained  to  the  work  of  the  ministry  March,  1876. 
Brother  Franklin  is  among  the  energetic  enterprising  men  of 
his  part  of  Montgomery  county.  Notwithstanding  he  earns 
his  living  at  farming,  he  is  busy  in  the  interest  of  the  affairs 
of  the  house  of  God.  At  present  he  is  pastor  at  Pike  Road 
Church. 

Franklin.  Rev.  William,  of  Mt.  Meigs,  was  born  Octo- 
ber 30,  1852.  He  was  baptized  by  the  late  Rev.  Washington 
Stevens,  of  Montgomery,  July,    1871.     He  was   ordained  in 


Rev.  J.  P.  O'Riley,  Trussville,  Ala.,  Pastor  Compton  Baptist  Church. 


BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES.  145 

1881  by  Revs.  P.  Lucas,  W.  Stevens  and  his  brother,  Rev. 
Samuel  Franklin. 

He  is  a  thoughtful,  enterprising  man,  and  has  the  pas- 
toral charge  of  several  country  churches.  Being  self-reliant, 
persevering,  as  well  as  economical  with  time  and  means,  he  has 
risen  somewhat  above  the  crushing  heels  of  poverty  and  want. 
At  the  age  of  25  years,  he  did  not  know  the  English  alphabet? 
but  by  persistent  application  to  study,  he  now  reads  and 
writes  and  keeps  his  own  accounts. 

His  face  bears  those  hospitable  marks  which  make  one 
feel  easy  and  at  home  in  his  company  and  restful  amid  his 
family. 

On  a  trip  to  Mobile,  our  train  stopped  at  the  bridge  of  the 
Tensas  river  to  allow  a  freight  train  to  clear  the  track.  Mr. 
Franklin's  gaze  upon  the  bridge  led  the  writer  to  think  he 
was  frightened.  As  the  freight  train  left  the  bridge,  Mr. 
F.  remarked  :  "  If  it  will  hold  up  that  train,  it  will  ours,  too." 
I  said  :  «  Maybe  that  train  has  just  put  it  into  the  condition  to 
let  us  through."  '  "  Yes,  and  I'll  pull  my  shoes  off  now  in  time 
to  swim,"  said  Mr.  F. 

Freemax,  Rev.  James  H.,  of  Moulton,  Lawrence  county, 
is  one  among  the  very  worthy  young  men  of  our  State.  He 
has  had  comparatively  no  advantages  for  learning,  and  yet  his 
sober  and  comprehensive  viewrs  of  life  have  spurred  him  on- 
ward in  search  of  information,  till  now  we  have  but  few 
young  men  in  Alabama  who  use  better  language,  have  clearer 
ideas  of  the  Christian  life,  and  make  a  more  orderly  speech 
than  Mr.  Freeman.     Better  still,  his  neighbors  speak  of  him 

good  man — a  man  whose  conduct  is  a  living  epistle  of  the 
faittTw-feich  he  professes. 

French. — Of  the  many  substantial  people  of  Talladega 
county  who  deserve  honorable  mention,  none  are  more  worthy 


146  COLORED  BAPTISTS  OF  ALABAMA. 

in  all  regards  than  the  French  family.  Messrs.  Emanuel, 
William,  and  Prince  French  would  be  an  honor  to  any  race  of 
people,  no  matter  what  the  degree  of  their  civilization  and  the 
purity  of  their  moral  culture.  The  two  first  named  teach  in 
the  public  schools ;  the  latter  is  a  preacher,  and  all  of  them 
are  prosperous  land  owners,  as  well  as  faithful  members  of 
the  Baptist  church. 

Gachet,  Rev.  Adam,  of  Barbour  county,  Ala.,  was  born 
in  Randolph  county,  Ga.,  March  10,  1837.  At  the  age  of  16 
he  was  carried  to  the  county  and  State  in  wbich  he  now  lives. 
His  childhood  was  wholly  deprived  of  parental  love  and  care, 
and  he  says  he  never  knew  anything  of  a  relative.  De- 
pressed by  his  loneliness,  he  early  felt  the  need  of  the  friend- 
ship of  God,  which  he  sought  and  soon  obtained,  to  the  great 
joy  of  his  heart.  With  this  sweet  peace  soon  came  an  impres- 
sion that  he  was  called  upon  to  speak  of  this  wondrous  love 
to  his  fellow-slaves.  In  April,  1854,  he  was  baptized  into 
Enon  Church.  On  June  7,  1869,  he  was  set  apart  to  the  work 
of  the  gospel  ministry.  He  is  one  of  the  pioneers  in  the  work 
of  the  Eufaula  Association,  having  preached  the  introductory 
sermon  of  the  first  session  of  that  body.  From  the  first  till 
now  he  has  been  a  member  of  their  executive  board,  and  is 
now  a  member  of  the  board  of  trustees  of  Selma  University. 
Notwithstanding  Bro.  Gachet  has  had  no  educational  advan- 
tages, he  reads  intelligently  and  writes  some.  He  has  labored, 
and  now  labors,  in  some  of  the  most  important  churches  in 
his  section  of  Alabama.  He  is  still  active  on  all  lines  of 
progress.  He  has  a  large  family,  who  seem  to  do  him  honor. 
Bro.  Gachet  is  no  more. 

Goldsby,  Alexander,  was  born  February  6,  1819,  in 
Edgefield  district,  S.  C.  He  came  to  Alabama  in  1830.  His 
father,  who  was  a  native  African,  was  born  on  the  ocean  while 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  147 

his  mother  was  on  her  way  to  America.  His  mother  was  born 
in  Maryland.  In  1844  he  was  baptized  into  the  white  church 
at  Selma,  Ala.,  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Collins.  In  1845  he  was  or- 
dained to  the  office  of  deacon,  in  which  position  he  served  for 
thirty-eight  years.  He  was  a  very  honorable  man,  and  was 
not  less  respected  by  the  white  people  than  he  was  loved  and 
followed  by  his  own.  He  was  a  successful  blacksmith,  usually 
hired  his  time,  and  hence  he  was  to  a  very  considerable  degree 
his  own  master.  In  1843  he  married  Miss  Nicey  Goodwin, 
and  a  large  family  of  children  is  the  fruit  of  the  marriage. 
His  massive  head  and  deliberate  manner,  his  strong  will  and 
dauntless  spirit,  his  good  sense  and  genuine  piety,  made  him 
a  leader  of  the  people  and  a  pillar  in  the  house  of  God.  A 
man  more  capable  of  friendship  at  great  personal  costs,  I  have 
never  known.  Especially  from  him,  aided  by  Deacons  Charles 
White,  Nick  Claiborne,  Tall  Underwood,  and  E.  Ross,  our 
cause  in  Dallas  county  has  risen  up.  At  or  near  the  close  of 
his  seventy-third  year,  "Eather  Goldsby"  bravely,  triumph- 
antly and  peacefully  passed  from  the  earth  to  that  city  which 
knows  no  night  and  needs  not  the  shining  of  the  sun.  He 
was  one  of  the  chief  leaders  of  the  band  which  met  on  Friday 
night,  near  Selma,  forty  or  fifty  years  ago,  to  pray  for  freedom. 
His  name  is  honored  in  his  children. 

Greex,  Rev.  Lawsox  J.,  son  of  Lawson  and  Martha 
Green,  was  born  near  Livingston,  Sumter  county,  Ala.,  Au- 
gust 4,  1859.  Though  he  was  so  young,  he  sajs  his  heart  still 
bears  the  impress  of  the  hoirors  of  slavery.  Under  his 
father's  direction,  he  soon  learned  how  to  farm.  Notwith- 
standing the  colored  people  of  this  county  were  greatly  hin- 
dered by  the  kuklux,  Mr.  Green  utilized  every  educational  fa- 
cility within  his  reach  to  attain  to  a  knowledge  of  letteis. 
After  he  had  gone  as  far  as  he  could  in  the  schools  in  and 


148  COLORED  BAPTISTS  OF  ALABAMA. 

around  Livingston,  in  1879  he  entered  the  Selma  University, 
then  under  the  management  of  Rev.  H.  Woodsmall,  of  Indiana. 
From  this  institution,  he  graduated  in  1884  under  the  presi- 
dency of  Dr.  E.  M.  Brawley.  At  different  times  and  places 
he  has  followed  the  work  of  teaching.  He  taught  in  his  own 
county,  was  principal  of  Tullabody  Academy  at  Gr.eensboro, 
was  a  member  of  the  faculty  of  Selma  University,  and  was  also 
of  the  faculty  of  the  Baptist  Academy  at  Marion.  His  prin- 
cipal pastorates  have  been  at  Greensboro,  Ala.,  and  Selma,  of 
the  same  State.  As  Brother  Green  is  full  of  good  health, 
pluck  and  mental  energy,  there  is  no  reason  why  he  should 
not  have  a  long  and  useful  life  as  a  Christian  leader.  He 
has  held  various  honorable  positions  in  the  general  woik,  and 
is  now  secretary  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  Selma  Univer- 
sity. 

P.  S.  He  is  now  in  Birmingham,  pastor  of  the  Spring 
Street  Church  and  principal  of  an  independent  school  on  the 
south  side  of  the  city.  He  will  long  be  a  power  in  the 
denomination,  if  watchfulness  and  temperance  attend  him. 

Gulley,  Daniel  T.,  of  Selma,  son  of  John  L.  and  Amy 
Gulley,  was  born  near  Snow  Hill  in  Wilcox  county,  Ala.  He 
was  the  property  of  James  Gulley,  whom  he  served  as  "  wait- 
ing boy  "  till  the  close  of  the  war.  Doubtless  this  position 
was  favorable  in  the  direction  of  refinement  and  culture.  A 
taste  and  relish  for  the  study  of  books  would  naturally  come 
of  such  environments.  Utilizing  some  school  advantages 
which  came  to  hand,  he  soon,  as  the  result  of  hard  work,  at- 
tained to  such  a  beginning  in  letters  as  enabled  him  to  offici- 
ate as  clerk  of  the  A'ntioch  Church. 

At  the  opening  of  Selma  University  on  January  1,  1878, 
he,  at  9  o'clock  a.  m.,  was  the  only  student  on  the  ground. 
He  completed  a  course  in  this  institution  with   the  class  of 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  149 

1884.  On  the  fourth  Sunday  in  February,  1873,  he  was  bap- 
tized into  the  ADtioch  Baptist  Church  by  the  Rev.  Willis 
Sfcalworth.  Here  he  served  as  clerk  of  the  church  and  as 
superintendent  of  the  Sunday  School.  From  the  beginning, 
he  has  been  a  substantial  friend  of  ministerial  education.  He 
was  ordained  in  the  session  of  the  State  Convention  held  in 
Selma  in  November,  1883,  Revs.  M.  Tyler,  W.  H.  Mc Alpine, 
J.  Dosier,  E.  K.  Love,  E.  M.  Brawley,  W.  R.  Pettiford,  H. 
Stevens  and  the  writer,  officiating  as  presbytery.  He  has  held 
various  pastorates  and  different  positions  in  the  general  woik, 
and  is  now  Sunday  School  missionary  under  the  Publication 
Society. 

Hampton,  Rev.  James,  of  Leighton,  Ala.,  was  born  and 
reared  near  where  he  now  lives.  On  July  25,  1858,  he  began 
life's  journey  a  slave,  in  line  with  the  condition  of  his  race. 
In  1869 — in  September — he  was  baptized  into  the  Mount 
Pleasant  Church  by  "Father"  Henry  Bynum,  and  on  June  18, 
1882,  he  was  solemnly  set  apart  to  the  work  of  the  gospel 
ministry  by  Revs.  B.  King,  H.  Bynum,  O.  Jackson  and  T.  W. 
Morris.  Brother  Hampton  is  one  of  the  leading  men  of  the 
Muscle  Shoals  Association,  and  justly  so,  for  added  to  his 
natural  talent  are  many  graces  of  character  which  come  only 
of  labor,  aspiration,  study,  faith,  and  exalted  purpose. 

Without  the  aid  of  schools,  he  has  attained  to  a  creditable 
knowledge  of  letters.  He  is  a  builder,  an  organizer,  a  pastor 
and  business  man.  With  him  and  his  family,  the  tired  mis- 
sionary may  find  a  place  for  rest  and  refreshment.  He  lives 
upon  his  own  fruitful  farm  near  Leighton, in  Lawrence  county, 
and  is  a  light  which  shines  upon  all  the  Christian  enterprises 
around  him. 

Hawkins,  Prof.  D.  D.,  of  East  Lake,  Jefferson  county, 
deserves  honorable  mention  for  his  services  for  religion  and 


150  COLORED  BAPTISTS  OF  ALABAMA. 

education.  The  people  of  East  Lake  are  comparatively  pros- 
perous and  progressive,  and  to  no  man  are  they  more  indebted 
for  this  condition  of  things  than  to  Deacon  and  Professor 
Hawkins.  As  church  officer  and  as  school  teacher  he  has  long 
and  faithfully  served  his  church  and  his  community,  and  his 
spirit  and  labors  have  been  like  the  leaven  which  the  woman 
hid  in  the  meal. 

The  writer  has  ever  found  him  a  quiet,  industrious, 
hospitable  brother,  with  ready  heart  and  open  hand  in  support 
of  every  good  work.  He  is  an  honor  to  his  school — Selma 
University. 

Hall,  Rev.  S.  M.,  pastor  of  the  First  Colored  Baptist 
Church  at  Warrior,  Ala.,  is  one  of  our  most  robust,  handsome 
and  spotless  young  men.  He  was  born  in  Walker  county, 
Ala.,  October  26,  1867.  Attended  the  public  schools  of  his 
community  for  five  years.  In  October,  1885,  he  joined  the 
Oak  Grove  Church  in  Walker  county,  receiving  baptism  the 
same  month.  He  has  attended  the  Birmingham  Institute  two 
years,  and  has  given  three  years  to  the  work  of  teaching.  He 
is  one  of  those  jovial,  happy,  friendly  souls  which  one  always 
enjoys.  His  hard  work  in  the  study  of  books  shows  that  he 
sees  and  appreciates  the  value  of  knowledge,  and  recognizes 
that  there  is  no  easy,  lazy  road  to  learning,  to  culture  and 
refinement. 

Hawthorne,  Rev.  Lambert,  of  Evergreen,  was  born 
March  15,  1859,  in  Pine  Apple,  Wilcox  county,  Ala.  When 
he  was  only  six  years  of  age  his  mother,  Mrs.  Sarah  Haw- 
thorne, died  and  left  him  and  two  other  sons  to  such  cold 
charities  as  might  chance  to  fall  in  their  way.  From  the  time 
of  his  mother's  death  till  he  was  18  or  20  he  was  an  appren- 
tice to  Col.  J.  R.  Hawthorne,  of  his  native  county.  This  gen- 
tleman sent  him  to  school,  sometimes  paying  $2  per  month  to 


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152  COLORED  BAPTISTS  OF  ALABAMA. 

his  teacher,  thus  enabling  him  in  his  early  years  to  lay  an 
educational  foundation  upon  which  he  has  continued  to  build. 
As  might  be  expected  of  any  person  possessing  his  native 
talent  and  industrious  turn  of  mind,  be  has  successfully 
drawn  upon  every  literary  opportunity  that  has  fallen  in  his 
way,  to  increase  and  beautify  his  store  of  knowledge  and  wis- 
dom. He  studied  in  Talladega  College,  entering  that  institu- 
tion 1875  and  leaving  in  1879. 

In  1879  he  was  induced,  doubtless  by  denominational  in- 
fluences, to  enter  Selma  University. 

Both  as  teacher  and  as  preacher  he  has  been  a  very  busy 
man.  At  different  times  he  has  been  principal  of  the  city 
schools  of  Opelika  and  Union  Springs,  and  now  he  presides 
over  the  Evergreen  High  School.  His  most  prominent  pas- 
torates have  been  the  First  Church,  Union  Springs,  and  the 
Bethel  Church,  Evergreen.  For  the  latter  church  Mr.  Haw- 
thorne is  now  completing  a  good  church  edifice.  In  1873  he 
Was  baptized  at  Pine  Apple  by  Rev.  W.  Allen.  In  1883  he 
was  ordained  to  the  ministry  in  Opelika  by  Revs.  Thomas 
Glenn,  H.  Clark,  N.  B.  Robie,  D.  D.  (white),  and  others.  In 
1880  he  was  wedded  to  Miss  Laura  E.  Drake,  of  Opelika.  an 
affable  lady,  by  whom  he  has  six  children.  Mr.  Hawthorne  is 
energetic,  sociuble  and  full  of  work. 

Hollow  ay,  Rev.  W.  H.,  who  spent  two  years  in  the 
Presbyterian  Theological  School  at  Tuscaloosa,  is  preaching 
and  teaching  at  Thomas.  Affable  and  industrious,  he  is  mak- 
ing friends  and  followers. 

Hunter,  Key.  Henry,  of  Faunsdale,  son  of  Reuben  and 
Abigail  Hunter,  is  now  (June,  1892)  about  77  years  of  age. 
He  was  baptized  by  Rev.  James  Caldwell  since  the  close  of 
the  war,  and  in  1866  he  was  set  apart  to  the  work  of  the  gos- 
pel ministry  in  a  council  of  which  the  Rev.  James  Caldwell 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  153 

was  chairman.  Speaking  of  his  education  Brother  Hunter 
says :  "By  chance  I  learned  to  read  the  Bible."  He  is  one  of 
the  pioneers  of  Marengo  county  in  the  work  of  the  colored 
Baptists.  He  is  naturally  talented,  is  unassuming,  deeply 
pious,  and  is  known  by  his  brethren  as  being  sober,  upright 
and  honorable.  He  has  property  worth  about  61,000.  He  is 
quietly  expecting  a  peaceable  end  to  his  earthly  career,  and 
like  Abraham,  has  his  eyes  upon  another  country  where  the 
wicked  shall  cease  from  troubling  and  the  weary  shall  be  at  rest. 

Hutchins,  Rev.  P.  S.  L.,  of  Gallion,  son  of  Reuben  and 
Sylvia  Hutchius,  was  born  October  13,  1862,  in  Barbour 
county,  Alabama.  In  1879  he  was  baptized  into  the  Eufaula 
Baptist  Church  by  the  Rev.  Jerry  Shorter.  He,  in  youth,  was 
a  person  of  observing,  active  mind,  and  hence  by  the  time  he 
came  to  early  manhood  he  had  fairly  prepared  himself  for  the 
position  of  school  teacher.  He  took  the  college  course  in 
Selma  University,  from  which  institution  he  graduated  with 
the  degree  of  A.  B.  in  May,  1890.  On  May  the  31st,  of  the 
same  year,  he  was  publicly  and  officially  set  apart  to  the  work 
of  the  gospel  ministry,  Revs.  M.  Tyler,  C.  L.  Puree,  C.  L. 
Fisher,  J.  Q.  A.  Wilhite,  R.  T.  Pollard;  L.  J.  Green,  A.  X. 
McEwen  and  the  writer,  officiating  as  presbytery.  At  the 
time  of  this  writing  Mr.  Hutchins  is  pastor  at  Gallion  and 
also  at  Xewberne.  At  both  these  points  he  has  succeeded  in 
leading  his  flocks  to  the  erection  of  good  church  edifices.  He 
is  full  of  energy  and  pluck  as  well  as  of  literary  aspiration. 
Like  O'Bryant  and  other  rising  men  among  us,  he  is  a  moving 
man,  and  has  muscles  as  well  as  brains. 

He  is  physically  as  well  as  mentally  strong,  and  so,  if 
wisdom,  prudence  and  Providence  shall  continue  to  be  his 
companions,  a  long  life,  a  growing  life,  a  useful  life,  an  honor- 
able life  is  to  be  his. 


154  COLORED    BAPTISTS    OF    ALABAMA. 

P.  S. — Since  writing  the  above  Mr.  Hutchins  has  been 
abundant  in  labors  in  building  houses  of  worship  at  differ- 
ent points.  Great  physical  strength  is  proving  to  be  a  very 
convenient  instrumentality  under  the  powers  of  a  strong 
mind. 

Jackson,  Rev.  A.  C,  the  son  of  Roderick  and  Ellen  Jack- 
son, was  born  in  Pickens  county,  Alabama,  December  13, 1848. 
He  was  baptized  into  the  African  Baptist  Church,  Tuscaloosa, 
Ala.,  by  the  late  Rev.  Prince  Murrell. 

He  was  ordained  to  the  work  of  the  gospel  ministry  at 
the  request  of  the  Sixteenth  Street  Baptist  Church,  Birming- 
ham, by  Revs.  J.  R.  Capers  Cone  of  the  most  worthy  organ- 
izers of  the  Alabama  work),  Henry  Wood  and  N.  G.  Scurlock. 
The  writer  first  met  Brother  Jackson  in  Mobile,  in  1875,  in 
company  with  Rev.  P.  Murrell.  His  Birmingham  work  was 
crowned  with  success.  Beside  what  he  did  in  the  matter  of 
increasing  the  membership,  he  laid  at  the  hand  of  his  succes- 
sor in  the  pastorate  of  the  Sixteenth  Street  Church  about 
$3,000  worth  of  salable  land  and  the  present  church  site.  He 
.is  accepted  by  his  brethren  as  being  an  honest,  earnest,  in- 
dustrious, studious  man,  especially  noted  for  his  hospitality  to 
his  brethren.  Beside  the  pastorate  above  mentioned,  he  has 
been  a  builder  and  leader  of  other  churches.  He  is  now  pres- 
ident of  the  Sunday  School  Convention  of  the  Mt.  Pilgrim  As- 
sociation and  chairman  of  the  Ministers'  Conference  of  Bir- 
mingham. He  has  had  sore  trials,  but  in  all  his  changes  his 
love  for  Jesus  has  been  manifest  to  all. 

Jacksox,  Rev.  Johx  W.,  pastor  of  the  First  Colored  Baptist 
Church  of  Eufaula,  was  born  at  Whitesville,  Ga.,  about  thirty 
years  ago. 

Educational  Advantages. — He  has  enjoyed  only  such  ad- 
vantages as  the  free  public  schools  of  Atlanta,  Ga.,  afforded 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  155 

him,  but  because  of  his  native  talent  and  studious  application 
to  the  study  of  books,  and  his  association  with  men  of  thought, 
he  is  possessed  of  a  fair  education.  His  unassuming  manner 
and  happy,  brotherly  spirit  win  and  hold  for  him  the  love  of 
his  brethren  in  the  ministry  as  well  as  the  tender,  confiding 
respect  of  his  flock. 

He  was  led  to  faith  in  Christ  in  his  sixteenth  year.  In 
December,  1890,  he  was  installed  into  the  work  and  office  of 
the  gospel  ministry  by  a  council,  in  which  Revs.  W.  H.  Tilman 
and  E.  J.  Fisher,  of  Atlanta,  Ga.,  officiated.  He  was  called  to 
labor  in  Alabama  May,  1892.  The  Eufaula  Church,  of  which 
he  is  pastor,  was  organized  about  the  year  1867,  and  is  there- 
fore one  among  the  oldest  churches  in  the  State.  This  church 
began  on  the  river  bank  in  a  little  board  shanty,  but  they  now 
worship  in  a  nice  large  frame  building  on  a  main  street  of  the 
city.  Mr.  Jackson  follows  in  this  pastorate  Revs.  J.  Shorter, 
J.  Q.  A.  Wilhite,  G.  W.  Berry,  Mr.  Forbes,  and  Mr.  Bassett ; 
and  he  feels  gratified  with  the  assurance  that  he  leads  a  church 
from  which  have  gone  forth  some  of  the  best  people  in  the 
country.     "  Be  thou  strong,  therefore,  and  show  thyself  a  man." 

Jackson,  Rev.  Dexnis,  of  Tuscumbia,  is  an  honest,  in- 
dustrious man  who  has  a  large  place  in  the  love  of  his  brethren. 

James.  Rev.  Lewis  D.,  son  of  James  and  Pnscilla  James, 
was  born  in  Sumter  county,  Ala.,  December  24,  1859.  Bap- 
tized by  Rev.  A.  Gordon,  of  Gainesville,  Ala.,  in  August,  1875 
Had  limited  educational  advantages  in  youth,  but  has  since, 
his  manhood  increased  his  stock  of  information  by  study,  in 
which  labor  he  has  been  aided  by  Prof.  E.  D.  Lord  and  Dr.  A. 
F.  Owens,  of  Mobile,  and  Dr.  Pettiford.  of  Birmingham. 

He  was  ordained  to  take  charge  of  the  Bethel  Church  at 
"Warrior,  Ala.,  October,  1888,  by  Revs.  A.  C.  Jackson,  J.  TV. 
White,  A.  D.  Jemison  and  W.  R.  Pettiford,  D.  D.     His  brethren 


156  COLORED  BAPTISTS  OF  ALABAMA. 

of  the  Mount  Pilgrim  Association  have  laid  on  him  various 
positions  of  honor,  such  as  president  of  the  Sunday  School 
Convention,  district  missionary,  etc. 

James,  Rev.  Van  B.,  pastor  at  Avondale,  is  a  brother  of 
Rev.  L.  D.  James.  He  is  a  progressive,  industrious  young 
man,  whose  breast  is  filled  with  longings  for  a  higher  life  for 
his  people.  His  preaching  is  characterized  by  thought  rather 
than  by  emotion.  In  all  the  interests  of  the  devotion  he  shows 
himself  substantially  concerned. 

Johnson,  Rev.  Gabriel  B.,  of  Courtland,  Ala.,  son  of 
Beverly  and  Sophia  Johnson,  was  born  in  King  George 
county,  Va.,  in  1849.  Two  years  before  the  beginning  of  our 
civil  war,  the  subject  of  our  sketch,  with  three  other  children 
and  his  mother,  were  brought  to  Alabama  as  slaves.  He 
was  led  to  seek  Christ  in  consequence  of  a  revival  conducted 
near  Courtland  by  Revs.  F.  Bowman  and  S.  Watkins.  In 
1867,  in  February,  he  was  baptized  by  a  white  brother. 
Shortly  after  his  baptism,  he  began  to  speak  for  Jesus  in  the 
public  meetings  under  the  authority  of  a  license  from  his 
church.  In  1873  he  was  solemnly  set  apart  to  the  sacred 
office  of  the  gospel  ministry,  Revs.  G.  Garrett,  J.  Belle,  B. 
Swope  and  C.  S.  Gibson  officiating,  after  which  he  was  called 
to  the  pastoral  charge  of  the  Courtland  Church,  in  which  ca- 
pacity he  now  serves.  His  first  marriage  was  to  Miss  Millie 
Davis,  daughter  of  Harry  and  Susan  Davis.  As  the  fruit  of 
this  marriage,  there  were  seven  children  born  to  him,  four  of 
whom  still  live.  In  1887,  and  some  time  after  death  had 
robbed  him  of  this  good  woman,  he  was  wedded  to  Miss 
Mariah  Jarman,  daughter  of  John  and  S.  Jarraan,  of  Leightou, 
Ala. 

He  has  had  but  poor  educational  advantages,  but  has 
used  to  considerable  effect  such  as   have  come  within  his 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  157 

reach.  He  has  had  some  access  to  the  free  public  schools 
and  a  few  months  in  the  Roger  Williams  University,  Nash- 
ville, Tenn. 

He  has  been  Sunday  School  missionary  under  tbe  joint  ap- 
pointment of  the  Muscle  Shoals  Association  and  the  American 
Baptist  Publication  Society,  has  for  several  sessions  assisted 
Prof.  H.  H.  Stewart  in  the  Courtland  public  school,  and  is  at 
present  the  moderator  of  the  Muscle  Shoals  Association.  He 
has  the  confidence  and  love  of  his  brethren,  and  will  doubtless 
ascend  into  still  greater  things.  Being  physically  strong, 
he  will  be  a  young  man  for  years  to  come.  His  kind  manner 
and  polite  disposition  readily  commend  him  to  the  favor  of  all 
persons  who  are  inclined  to  be  friendly,  and  hence  a  host  of 
friends  follow  him  with  good  wishes. 

Johnson,  Rev.  Daniel,  Oakland,  Lauderdale  county,  Ala., 
son  of  Lewis  and  Martha  Johnson,  was  born  near  Florence, 
Ala.,  November  11,  1844.  Baptized  by  Rev.  H.  Beckwith  in 
1872.  Ordained  by  Rev.  H.  Beckwith,  Thos.  Bruhes  and  A. 
Davis,  in  January,  1880. 

Brother  Johnson  has  been  pastor  of  Zion  No.  1  for  some 
time  past  and  is  a  cheerful  supporter  of  all  tbe  general  enter- 
prises of  the  denomination. 

Johnson,  Rev.  Richaed,  pastor  of  St.  James  Church,  Bir- 
mingham, is  one  of  our  worthy  pioneers,  in  the  Macon  county 
churches. 

Jones,  Rev.  C.  P.,  pastor  Tabernacle  Church,  Selma,  hails 
from  Arkansas.  We  have  nothing  of  his  history.  He  comes 
to  us  highly  recommended  by  those  who  knew  him  best,  and 
so  far  he  is  making  an  excellent  impression  in  his  praise.  Be- 
side his  moral  worth  and  fine  intellectual  talents  he  has  other 
personal  graces  very  rarely  seen. 


Rev.  J.  H.  Eason,  A.  B.,  Professor  in  Selma   University. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  159 

The  writer  loves  especially  his  earnest  devotion  to  his 
sacred  calling.  He  is  of  Georgia  nativity,  is  about  27  years 
of  age  and  is  a  good  scholar.  He  has  been  in  Alabama  only 
three  months.  What  he  has  accomplished  in  books  is  proof 
that  he  is  a  man  of  studious  habits. 

P.  S. — Since  the  above  was  written  Brother  Jones  has 
gone  to  Mississippi,  forcing  from  Alabama  Baptists  an  ac- 
knowledgment of  his  exalted  piety,  child-like  faith,  sound 
sense  and  superior  pulpit  power.  Brother  Jones  is  now  in 
Mississippi,  still  growing  in  grace  and  popularity. 

Jones,  Rev.  Silas,  of  Mt.  Meigs,  Montgomery  county, 
son  of  Jupiter  and  Caroline  Jones,  was  born  May  1,  1847. 
He  was  baptized  into  Elam  Church,  May  1,  1866,  by  Rev. 
John  Holmes,  (white).  Was  ordained  to  the  work  of  the  gos- 
pel ministry  May  29,  1870,  under  the  auspices  of  the  white 
Baptist  Church,  of  Wetumpka,  Ala.,  by  Revs.  A.  Carleton,  J. 
Cole  and  Thomas  Smith.  The  writer  first  met  Brother  Jones 
in  Mobile  in  1875 — has  been  with  him  in  his  pastorates  at 
Wetumpka,  at  Sandy  Ridge,  at  Mt.  Meigs  and  at  Calhoun. 
He  did  not  learn  the  alphabet  until  after  he  was  about  18 
years  of  age,  and  hence  his  very  manly  struggles  for  a  knowl- 
edge of  books  have  not  been  attended  with  the  perfection 
which  comes  of  early  training.  But  he  is  a  man  of  natural 
ability  and  rare  tact,  and  what  he  knows  is  most  thoroughly 
utilized.  His  home  Christianity  includes  a  system  of  regular 
Bible  study  for  children  as  well  as  for  hired  help.  He  is  an 
exemplary  pastor.  He  is  an  industrious  Bible  student  and 
preaches  the  truth  with  telling  effect.  His  urbanity  and  other 
elements  of  personal  magnetism  bind  his  people  ahout  him 
with  strongest  cords  of  confidence  and  affection .  No  one 
man  has  done  more  for  the  education  of  his  people  than  he, 
as  the  schools  at  Mt.  Meigs  and  Calhoun  must  show.     Brother 


160  COLORED  BAPTISTS  OF  ALABAMA. 

Jones  is  still  young  and  strong  and  promises  a  long  life. 
He  has  good  property.  His  family  does  him  honor.  He  is  a 
strong  man  and  coming  days  will  give  him  the  honors  due 
him  as  a  man  great  in  service  for  home  and  country. 

Jones,  Rkv.  Pope,  of  Russellville,  was  born  near  Tuscum- 
bia,  Ala.,  June  15,  1839.  He  was  baptized  some  time  between 
1862  and  1866,  and  was  set  apart  to  the  work  of  the  gospel 
ministry  in  1869  by  Revs.  Joseph  Shackelford,  D.  D.  (white), 
and  W.  E.  Northcross.  Brother  Jones  was  in  many  respects 
a  very  remarkable  man— no  man  in  the  Muscle  Shoals  Asso- 
ciation, no  man  in  Northern  Alabama,  had  so  much  power  over 
the  masses  of  the  ministry  and  the  great  body  of  the  laity  as 
he.  He  was  an  executive  man  and  a  natural  magnet,  and  men 
gathered  about  him  and  cheerfully  submitted  themselves  to 
the  sway  of  his  opinions.  He  was  as  affable  as  he  was  firm? 
as  joyous  as  he  was  earnest.  He  peaceably  passed  from  this 
life  in  1888. 

Jones,  Rev.  Wm.  B.,  of  Demopolis,  was  born  in  1847  in 
Marengo  county,  Ala.  Was  baptized  June  16,  1867,  by  Rev. 
John  Scott.     He  has  accomplished  some  work  in  the  churches. 

Kennedy,  Rev.  F.  R.,  of  Columbiana,  was  born  December 
20,  1864,  in  this  State.  He  was  baptized  at  Calera  by  the  Rev. 
Henry  Clay  in  1881,  and  in  1886  he  was  set  apart  to  the  work 
of  the  gospel  ministry  by  Revs.  P.  Fancher  and  John  Tran- 
holm.  Mr.  Kennedy  at  the  age  of  18  did  not  know  his  letters, 
but  perceiving  at  an  early  age  the  value  of  book  learning  he 
resolved  at  the  time  named  to  attain  to  some  knowledge  on 
this  line.  He  has  availed  himself  of  such  facilities  and  oppor- 
tunities as  have  fallen  in  his  way,  and  in  consequence  he  now 
reads  and  writes  fairly  well.  No  doubt  much  of  his  advance- 
ment and  general  success  are  due  to  the  knowledge,  aspiration 
and  persistence  of  Mrs.  Kennedy,  whose  educational  advantages 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  161 

have  been  superior  to  her  husband's.  Brother  Kennedy  has 
been  pastor  in  his  own  town,  in  Birmingham,  at  Calera,  and 
now  he  preaches  in  Anniston. 

Kennedy,  Rev.  Samuel,  once  pastor  Union  Church,  Mobile, 
is  one  of  those  unassuming,  modest,  friendly  men  whose  heart 
pours  forth  in  kindness  upon  everybody.  Like  many  others 
his  chief  misfortune  is  that  he  bears  the  marks  which  declare 
his  want  of  early  school  advantages.  However,  he  deserves 
praise  for  many  good  qualities  and  commendable  labors. 

King,  Rev.  Boling,  of  Leighton,  Ala.,  was  born  in  Orange 
county,  Va.,  August,  1836.  He  was  converted  to  faith  in  Christ 
under  the  ministry  of  Rev.  Henry  Bynum,  by  whom,  aided  by 
Dr.  Shackleford,  he  was  baptized  into  the  Mt.  Pleasant  Baptist 
Church  near  Leighton.  In  1868,  in  same  church  and  by  the 
same  brethren,  he  was  solemnly  set  apart  to  the  work  of  the 
gospel  ministry.  Though  he  never  attended  school  he  can 
read  and  write,  and  is  a  natural  leader.  He  is  pastor  of  some 
of  the  largest  churches  in  the  Muscle  Shoals  Association.  He 
is  an  industrious,  honorable  man  and  has  accumulated  about 
$1,700  worth  of  real  estate.  He  is  one  of  the  pioneers  of  the 
work  in  this  section  of  Alabama.  He  is  still  of  youthful  vigor 
and  leads  in  the  Sunday  School  the  same  as  in  the  church. 

Koyton,  Prof.  Abner  C,  of  Tuscaloosa,  son  of  Henry  and 
Susan  Koyton,  was  born  in  Marietta,  Ga.,  but  was  reared  in 
•Summerfield,  Ala.  Mr.  Koyton  graduated  from  the  State 
Normal  School,  Marion,  Ala.,  in  1880,  and  delivered  the  first 
annual  address  to  the  alumni  of  this  institution. 

Under  his  principalship,  and  on  his  plans,  so  the  writer  is 
informed,  the  city  schools  (colored)  of  Tuscaloosa  began  to 
operate  under  their  present  graded  system.  He  is  now  just 
inaugurating  the  Tuscaloosa  Baptist  Academy.     He  is  young, 


162  COLORED  BAPTISTS  OF  ALABAMA. 

but  studious  and  progressive.     His  youth  is  dignified  by  his 
gravity  and  piety. 

Lawson,  Rev.  A.  J.,  of  Camden,  son  of  Mr.  A.  and  Mrs. 
Julia  Lawson,  is  doing  a  good  work  at  Camden.  His  chief 
educational  advantages  have  come  of  the  Camden  schools,  and 
what  he  has  accomplished  in  the  way  of  letters,  is  evidence  of 
his  vigilance  and  application  with  reference  to  the  opportuni- 
ties which  came  to  his  hand.  He  was  baptized  by  Rev.  David 
Small,  of  Clark  county,  in  1886,  two  years  after  which  time  he 
was  set  apart  to  the  work  of  the  gospel  ministry  at  Camden 
by  order  of  the  Camden  Church,  which  was  then  under  the 
pastoral  care  of  Rev.  J.  W.  White.  His  labors  are  well  spoken 
of  by  his  brethren. 

Lawsox,  Rev.  A.,  of  Union  Springs,  the  pastor  of  Mount 
Pleasant  Church,  now  about  45  years  of  age,  is  one  of  the 
leading  men  of  the  "Old  Pine  Grove  Association."  Like  most 
of  the  men  of  his  time,  his  education  has  been  hindered. 
However,  he  is  a  very  clear-headed  man  and,  having  a  large 
following,  has  done  much  good  in  Bullock  county. 

Leavens,  Rev.  Charles,  the  man  who  led  to  the  erection 
of  the  brick  structure  in  which  the  St.  Louis  Street  Church 
now  worships,  was  of  Virginia  nativity,  and  was  born  about 
1805.  The  writer  is  of  the  opinion  that  no  man  in  Alabama 
did  so  much  in  pioneer  days  to  organize  the  Negro  Baptists 
in  the  State  as  Mr.  Leavens.  At  the  close  of  the  war  he  was 
not  ordained,  but  was  the  most  enterprising,  pushing,  san- 
guine and  influential  man  in  his  church.  Naturally,  therefore, 
the  wnrk  of  guiding  the  flock  fell  upon  his  shoulders.  As  he 
could  not  get  ordination  of  his  white  brethren,  he  sought  it  in 
New  Orleans.  Finding  himself  now  possessed  with  the  com- 
mission of  a  gospel  minister,  he  sought  to  touch  and  commis- 
sion men  for  the  other  cities  and  towns  of  the  State.    The  Rev. 


BIOGBATHICAL  SKETCHES.  163 

Philip  Garnbrell  was  ordained  about  the  same  time.  Calling 
in  this  man's  services  and  assistance,  Mr.  Leavens  ordained 
Messrs.  P.  Murrell,  of  Tuscaloosa ;  J.  Bleavens,  of  Selma ; 
James  Caldwell,  of  Demopolis  ;  the  writer,  and  a  great  com- 
pany of  others,  who  went  out  into  the  various  sections  of  the 
State  to  organize  the  people  into  churches.  Of  course,  as 
might  have  been  expected,  he  sometimes  put  out  the  wrong 
man,  but  it  was  a  time  to  do  and  dare.  His  excuse  for  hasty 
action  was:  "This  is  a  peculiar  time  whose  peculiar  circum- 
stances call  for  bold  methods."  His  chief  questions  to  appli- 
cants were  :  "  Can  you  and  do  you  read  the  Bible?  Do  you 
believe  it,  pray  about  it,  and  practice  its  teachings  ?  Are  you 
a  good,  whole  Baptist  ?     Are  you  a  republican  ?  " 

Leach,  Rev.  James,  of  Birmingham,  son  of  Alfred  and 
Elizabeth  Leach,  was  born  July  16,  1332.  in  Marengo  county, 
Ala.  In  1S46  he  was  baptized  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Fox,  of  Union- 
town,  and  on  November  26,  1S67,  in  the  African  Baptist 
Church  of  Tuscaloosa,  he  was  set  apart  to  the  work  of  the 
gospel  ministry  by  Revs.  P.  Murrell,  P.  Bowler  and  James 
Caldwell. 

In  1855  he  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  Martin.  He  was 
once  pastor  of  the  African  Baptist  Church,  Tuscaloosa,  and 
one  time  presided  over  the  Bethlehem  Association  (organized 
in  1877)  as  moderator.  Mr.  Leach  .has  held  various  pastor- 
ates, is  a  hospitable  man,  and  has  a  very  pleasant  family. 

The  writer  bas  often  found — when  weary  and  sick — a 
pleasing  and  invigorating  refuge  within  the  quiet  home  of 
these  good  people. 

Leftwich,  Johx  C,  of  Montgomery,  once  editor  and  now 
manager  of  the  Baptist  Leader,  is  noted  especially  for  energy 
and  independence.  He  is,  at  the  time  of  this  writing,  tem- 
perance lecturer  for  the  State  of  Alabama  under  the  "  Na- 


164  COLORED    BAPTISTS    OF    ALABAMA. 


tional  Temperance  Society."  Doubtless  he  inherits  his  push 
and  ambition  from  his  father,  who  was  at  one  time  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Alabama  legislature.  He  is  quite  a  young  man, 
and  if  wisdom  shall  rule  over  his  purposes  and  plans  in  years 
to  come,  he  will  write  himself  upon  the  men  and  the  occasions 
of  future  years . 

Lewis,  Rev.  C,  is  pastor  of  Macedonia  Church,  Birming- 
ham.    He  appears  ready  for  any  good  word  and  work. 

Looney,  Rev.  J.  T.,  of  Fayetteville,  Talladega  county, 
was  born  in  Coosa  county,  Alabama,  May  2,  1847.  He  was 
baptized  into  the  Fayetteville  Church  by  Rev.  Berry  Ware  in 
1867,  and  in  1885  he  was  set  apart  to  the  work  of  the  ministry 
by  Rev.  H.  Morris  and  others.  At  the  time  of  this  writing 
Mr.  Looney  is  pastor  at  Alpine.  He  is  a  quiet  and  unassum 
ing  man,  ever  friendly  to  education  and  missions,  and  hospi- 
table toward  his  brethren. 

Lofton,  Rev.  J.  B.,  is  pastor  at  Smithfield,  near  Bir 
mingham. 

Lovelady,  Rev.  C.  L.,  of  Hollywood,  Jackson  county,  is 
noted  among  his  brethren  for  his  interest  in  missions  and  edu 
cation.  He  followed  Rev.  Lewis  Roach  in  the  moderatorship 
of  the  Mud  Creek  Association.  He  helps  in  the  building  oi 
churches,  and  is  a  liberal  supporter  of  schools. 

Low,  Rev.  Green,  of  Livingston,  is  one  of  the  most  mat- 
ter-of-fact sort  of  men  with  whom  the  writer  has  ever  had 
any  business.  No  man  can  beat  him  wearing  his  whole  heart 
right  on  his  face.  He  is  uncovered,  outspoken  and  fearless 
and  yet  all  seems  so  natural,  so  honest  and  so  kind,  until 
what  would  otherwise  appear  hard  and  ungenial,  is  really  en 
joyable.  Mr.  Low  is  among  the  leaders  of  the  Bethlehem  As 
sociation. 


Miss  A.  L.  Bowman,  Missionary,   liirininsrbam,  Ala. 


166  COLORED  BAPTISTS  OF  ALABAMA. 

McAlpine,  Rev.  W.  H.,  at  present  teacher  of  Ministers' 
and  Deacons'  Institute,  under  the  appointment  of  the  South- 
ern Baptist  Mission  Board,  was  born  in  Buckingham  county, 
Virginia,  June,  1847.  At  the  age  of  three  years,  he,  his' 
mother  and  a  younger  brother  were  brought  to  this  state  by 
a  "Negro  speculator,"  who  sold  them  to  a  Rev.  Robert  McAl- 
pine, of  Coosa  county.  At  the  age  of  8  years  and  on  the  oc- 
casion of  the  death  of  this  Presbyterian  minister,  he  became 
the  property  (?)  of  Dr.  McAlpine,  with  whom  he  remained  till 
the  close  of  the  war.  In  this  family  he  was  the  nurse  of  the 
white  children  for  about  ten  years.  As  Mrs.  Dr.  McAlpine 
was  very  anxious  and  cautious  as  to  the  quality  of  the  first 
moulding  influences  touching  the  childhood  of  her  children, 
and  as  the  schools  around  were  hardly  up  to  her  ideal,  she 
had  her  children  instructed  at  home.  As  the  nurse's  position 
placed  him  and  kept  him  in  constant  association  with  the 
children,  and  as  he  was  possessed  of  a  literary  turn  of  mind, 
he  soon  began  to  imbibe  a  knowledge  of  letters,  advancing 
into  reading,  writing,  grammar,  geography  and  arithmetic. 
From  1855  to  1874  he  saw  nothing  of  his  mother,  and  for  six- 
teen years  of  this  time  did  not  know  where  she  was.  Nat- 
urally this  incident  started  a  train  of  serious  reflections  touch- 
ing the  facts  and  hopes  of  human  life.  About  the  year  1864 
or  1865  he  was  converted  to  Christianity  and  some  time  after 
was  baptized  into  the  Talladega  Church  (white)  by  his  friend, 
Dr.  Renfroe.  At  the  close  of  the  war  Mr.  McAlpine  first 
worked  at  the  carpenters'  trade,  which  he  left  for  school  teach- 
ing. In  the  winter  of  1K66  he  entered  the  Talladega  College, 
supporting  himself  by  laboring  during  the  morning  and  eve- 
ning hours — before  the  opening  and  after  the  close  of  the 
school.  In  1873  he  severed  his  connection  with  this  institu- 
tion, having  been  aroused  to  undertake  the  establishment  of  a 
similar  institution  for  his  own  denomination.    In  1871  be  was 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  167 

ordained  to  the  work  of  the  gospel  ministry,  and  accepted  a 
call  to  the  pastorate  of  the  Mt.  Canaan  Baptist  Church,  Talla- 
dega, which  he  resigned  in  1875  in  order  to  give  his  whole 
time  to  his  school  project. 

To  no  man  in  Alabama  has  been  committed  trusts  more 
varied  and  more  weighty.  While  connected  with  the  Talla- 
dega College  he  occupied  the  position  of  State  canvasser  under 
the  appointment  of  Mr.  Cravath.  He  has  been  pastor  at  Tal- 
ladega, Jacksonville,  Marion  and  Anniston,  and  president  of 
Selma  University.  His  special  excellence  is  not  of  that  mental 
style  which  gives  birth  to  fine  psychological  and  metaphysical 
discernments  and  distinctiveness:  it  is  that  sort  of  mental 
something  which  strikes  with  broad  side  and  ponderous  weight. 
The  breadth  of  his  rear  head  would  seem  to  indicate  that  all 
his  faculties  are  driven  forward  by  a  force  that  starts  from  a 
broad  base.  The  writer  first  met  Dr.  McAlpine  in  Mobile,  in 
November,  1874,  the  year  following  that  in  which  he  brought 
forward,  at  the  Tuscaloosa  session  of  the  Convention,  his 
school  idea.  My  first  impression  of  him  was  that  he  was  a 
man  of  special  mission,  and  I  immediately  sympathized  with 
him  and  with  the  school  project,  throwing  myself  fully  into 
line  with  his  plans. 

In  referring  to  his  childhood  life,  and  while  talking  with 
reference  to  the  power  of  secret  prayer,  he  once  remarked  to 
the  writer:  "Upon  one  occasion,  though  without  my  knowl- 
edge, Dr.  McAlpine  had  resolved  to  punish  me  for  a  trivial 
matter  on  my  part  which  had  caused  him  some  displeasure. 
I  had  gone  to  feed  the  horses,  and  in  the  crib  I  was  on  my 
knees  at  prayer.  The  doctor  had  followed  me  with  his  whip. 
I  was  not  aware  of  his  presence  or  purpose,  and  hence  as  he 
did  not  speak  I  got  through  with  my  prayer  and  fed  my  horse 
and  returned  to  the  house.     I  learned  afterward  that   my 


168  COLORED    BAPTISTS    OF    ALABAMA. 

prayer  had  subdued  him,  and  that  he  had  expressed  himself 
as  being  ashamed  of  his  purpose." 

Alluding  once  to  some  mistakes  he  had  made,  he  observed : 
"We  grow  wiser  as  we  grow  older."  He  has  been  happily 
married  twice.  By  his  last  wife  he  has  a  large  family  of  beau-- 
tiful  and  promising  children.  The  Rivers  family,  into  which 
he  married,  are  a  people  of  very  sterling  qualities,  and  no 
doubt  these  happy  associations  have  conduced  to  his  success 
in  all  regards. 

The  act  of  the  University  in  conferring  upon  him  the 
honorary  title  of  D.  D.  is  evidence  of  the  high  esteem  in  which 
he  is  held  by  the  trustees  and  faculty  of  the  school.  He  is 
now  theological  instructor  in  the  school  and  is  supported  by 
the  Southern  Board. 

McAlpixe,  F.  Percy,  son  of  J.  D.  and  Jane  McAlpine, 
was  born  August  1,  1865,  in  Forkland,  Ala.  He  entered  the 
world  amid  that  good  heritage  which  can  come  only  of  the 
exemplary  life  of  parents.  Though  his  early  life  was  spent 
on  the  farm,  his  youthful  days  were  blessed  with  some  edu- 
cational facilities,  which  his  discerning,  appreciative  mind 
turned  to  good  advantage.  After  completing  primary  grades 
in  his  home  schools,  he,  against  the  wish  of  his  mother  and 
protest  of  brothers,  entered  the  State  Normal  School  at  Ma- 
rion, Ala.,  with  only  $15  to  begin  the  course  of  study  pre- 
scribed. The  next  year  he  entered  Selma  University,  study- 
ing during  the  school  session  and  teaching  in  summer  till 
1888,  when  his  mother,  his  only  support  since  the  death  of 
his  father,  fell  asleep.     He  says  of  this  time  of  struggle  : 

"  I  owe  a  lasting  debt  of  gratitude  to  President  Puree, 
who  never  left  me  without  an  encouragement  which  it  was 
possible  for  him  to  bestow." 

In  1890  while  in  his  junior  college  year,  financial  straits 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  169 

forced  him  to  give  up  study  and  go  out  to  work.  Applying 
for  the  principalship  of  the  Bessemer  City  School,  he  made 
an  almost  perfect  mark  in  his  examination  and  obtained  the 
position.  While  in  this  capacity,  aided  by  Mr.  J.  C.  Barker, 
he  edited  a  paper  known  as  "  The  Marvel  Age"  In  1S93,  he 
and  Mr.  Barker  operated  a  bookstore. 

The  writer  knows  but  few  young  men  who  equal  Mr. 
Mc Alpine  in  modesty,  industry,  courage,  push  and  beauty  of 
moral  character.  An  honorable  future  awaits  him,  and  of 
friends  he  shall  have  many.  Talented  and  studious,  he  must 
still  advance  in  scholarship.  He  became  a  member  of  the 
Missionary  Baptist  Church  in  1885,  and  lives  according  to  his 
profession.  He  expects  to  complete  his  university  course  in 
1896. 

McEwen,  Rev.  A.  N.,  pastor  of  Franklin  Street  Church, 
Mobile,  lately  editor  of  the  Baptist  Leader,  is  a  native  of  the 
State  of  Mississippi,  where  he  was  born  April,  1849.  When 
he  was  about  18  years  of  age  he  went  to  Nashville,  Tenn.,  in 
search  of  better  things  than  those  to  which  slavery  had  in- 
troduced him.  Here  he  entered  the  Roger  Williams  Univer- 
sity, remaining  only  a  very  short  while.  Here  also  he  found 
and  wedded  a  wife.  Being  controlled  by  industry  and  econo- 
my he  soon  saved  enough  from  his  small  wages  to  purchase 
a  horse  and  wagon.  This  was  the  first  of  a  series  of  financial 
successes  by  means  of  which  he  soon  rose  above  poverty  and 
want  into  comfortable  circumstances  for  himself  and  family. 
While  attending  the  services  of  Mt.  Zion  Church  in  Nashville 
in  1870  he  was  led  to  faith  in  Christ  which  he  professed  by 
receiving  baptism. 

Shortly  after  he  began  religious  work,  and  in  1876  he  was 
ordained  to  take  charge  of  the  pastorate  at  Tullahoma,  Tenn. 
Five  or  six  years  after  this  he  came  to  Alabama  to  take  charge 
of  the  Dexter  Avenue  Church.     Mr.  McEwen,  since  his  en- 


170  COLORED  BAPTISTS  OF  ALABAMA. 

trance  into  Alabama,  has  been  intimately  connected  with  all 
our  state  operations,  educational  and  missionary,  and  no  man 
among  us  has  been  more  successful  as  a  church  financier.  He 
has  bestowed  special  care  upon  the  education  of  his  children, 
all  of  whom  he  has  reared  for  the  most  part  without  their 
mother's  aid,  as  she  died  when  they  were  young.  The  Dex- 
ter Avenue  Church  building  was  constructed  under  his  lead- 
ership. 

McCall,  Rev.  E.  A.,  at  present  pastor  in  Columbus,  Ga., 
the  son  of  Rev.  H.  A.  McCall,  was  born  May  15,  1855,  in  Rus- 
sell county,  Alabama.  In  1872  he  was  baptized  into  the  Hawk- 
insville  Baptist  Church  by  the  hands  of  his  father.  In  Sep- 
tember, in  the  twentieth  year  of  his  age,  he  was  set  apart  to 
the  work  of-  the  gospel  miuistry  by  Revs.  A.  Gachet,  S.  Fant- 
roy,  J/ Daniel,  J.  H.  Davis  and  H.  A.  McCall.  It  will  be  seen 
that  he  entered  the  sacred  office  at  a  very  early  age — at  an  age 
rather  soon  in  most  cases — rather  early  for  the  good  of  the 
minister  as  well  as  for  the  good  of  the  people  and  the  cause. 
But  though  in  youth  he  was  possessed  of  very  poor  educa- 
tional advantages,  by  talent,  push,  courage,  ambition,  observa- 
tion and  application  to  books,  he  has  made  surprising  ad- 
vances. He  is  strictly  a  self-made  man.  He  speaks  with 
ease  and  performs  well  on  the  organ. 

He  has  had  a  wide  range  of  operation,  having  been  pastor 
at  different  times  of  eleven  different  churches,  some  of  them 
equaling  the  best  pastorates  in  the  country.  Among  them  the 
church  at  Union  Springs  may  be  mentioned.  No  man  in  Ala- 
bama is  more  companionable  than  he. 

McCobd,  Rev.  C,  of  Selma,  was  set  apart  to  the  work  of 
the  gospel  ministry  by  the  St.  Phillip  Street  Church  while  the 
writer  was  pastor  in  1884.  He  started  the  study  of  books  late 
in  life,  but  by  associating  with  men  of  advanced  ideas  and 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  171 

close  application  to  books  he  is  now  considerably  ahead  of  the 
masses  of  the  ministry.  He  is  a  sober,  judicious  man,  peace- 
able and  ever  ready  for  work. 

Maddox,  Rev.  J.  D.,  the  son  of  Daniel  and  Tabitha  Mad- 
dox,  was  born  in  Barbour  county,  Ala.,  near  Midway,  in  1854. 
His  father  was  sold  away  from  him  when  he  was  only  three  days 
old,  and  his  mother  when  he  was  three  years  old,  and  hence  he 
came  up  without  knowing  anything  either  of  -father  or 
mother. 

This  friendless  condition  early  impressed  him  with  the 
desire  to  obtain  the  friendship  of  God,  which  in  his  eleventh 
year,  he  sought  and  found.  He  was  baptized  into  the  Rama 
Church  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  VanHoose  (white)  during  the  same 
year. 

In  his  seventeenth  year,  a  desire  to  read  books  came  into 
his  mind.  By  good  fortune,  he  came  into  possession  of  25 
cents  which  he  invested  in  a  "blue  back  speller."  In  order 
that  his  book  and  purpose  might  not  come  to  the  notice  of 
the  white  people  he  decided  that  he  would  tear  out  and  learn 
one  leaf  .at  the  time.  Thus  he  began  to  spell,  aided  by  a 
more  fortunate  fellow  slave.  The  widow  of  a  Baptist  minis- 
ter encouraged  him  with  the  statement  that  if  he  could  read 
she  would  give  him  a  hymn  book  and  a  Bible.  On  one  Sabbath 
he  learned  the  Ten  Commandments.  Doubtless  he  owes 
much  of  his  success  to  his  excellent  wife,  who  is  no  less  en- 
terprising than  she  is  devout  and  faithful.  He  said  to  the 
writer  :    "  My  wife  makes  me  study." 

In  1879  at  the  call  of  the  Friendship  Baptist  Church  of 
Barbour  county,  he  was  set  apart  to  the  ministry  by  Revs.  J. 
Shorter,  A.Gachet  and  E.  Alexander.  Brother  Maddox  is  a 
good  man,  a  faithful  preacher,  and  a  successful  builder — a 
leading  man  in  the  Eufaula  Association,  and  is  as  gentle  as  a 
woman,  and  simple  hearted  as  a  child. 


Kev.  M.  Tyler,  D.  1).,  Lowndesboro,  Ala. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  173 

Madersox,  Rev.  William,  of  Greensboro,  was  born  in 
Virginia  in  1849,  and  came  to  Alabama  in  1866.  In  the  fall  of 
1872  he  was  baptized  into  the  Second  Baptist  Church  at  Marion, 
Ala.,  and  in  the  following  year  began  to  enter  upon  the  work 
of  the  ministry,  speaking  in  public  as  he  had  opportunity. 
While  the  Convention  was  in  session  in  Marion  in  1880,  the 
hands  of  ordination  were  laid  upon  his  head  by  order  of  the 
Marion  Church,  and  by  the  same  presbytery  that  ordained  Dr. 
Pettiford.  He  spent  some  time  in  study  in  the  Selma  Uni- 
versity, under  the  presidency  of  the  late  Rev.  Harry  Wood- 
small.  Mr.  Maderson  is  a  man  ot  fine  natural  gifts  which, 
considering  his  early,  meagre  advantages,  have  been  well 
developed.  He  is  remarkably  capacitated  for  imbibing  what 
is  pure  and  elevating  in  good  men  and  good  books.  He  is 
dearly  beloved  no  less  for  his  stainless  character  than  for  his 
refinement  and  wisdom.  After  serving  various  other  impor- 
tant pastorates,  he  was  called  to  the  pulpit  of  the  Salem  Church 
at  Greensboro,  where  he  now  serves  with  success,  greatly  in- 
creasing the  membership  and  purchasing  a  neat  parsonage. 
For  the  past  seven  or  eight  years  he  has  been  the  moderator 
of  the  Uuiontown  Association — the  largest  Association  in  the 
State.  Should  he  continue  as  he  has  begun,  coming  years 
must  increase  his  power  with  God  and  man. 

Mebrell,  Rev.  Masox  C,  of  Fort  Deposit,  son  of  M.  C. 
and  Harriet  Merrell,  was  born  in  Dallas  county,  Ala.,  June  26, 
1849.  As  his  parents  were  poor,  he  was  apprenticed  to  the 
Rev.  H.  Talbird,  D.  D.,  of  said  county,  who  sent  him  to  the 
schools  of  the  neighborhood.  By  such  means  he  was  early 
placed  in  conditions  where  he  was  able  to  lay  the  foundation 
of  a  liberal  English  education.  Much  of  Mr.  MerrelFs  time 
for  many  years  has  been  spent  in  teaching  in  the  State  schools. 
The  money  thus  earned  has  been  a  supplement  to  the  meagre 


174  COLORED  BAPTISTS  OP  ALABAMA. 

support  given  him  by  the  small  churches  of  which  he  is  the 
efficient  pastor.  He  was  baptized  into  the  fellowship  of  the 
Carlowville  Church  October,  1867,  by  the  hands  of  his  bene- 
factor. In  1879  he  was  set  apart  to  the  work  of  the  gospel 
ministry  in  the  city  of  Montgomery,  Revs.  J.  A.  Foster,  W.  J. 
Stevens,  Wm.  Jinkins  and  R.  Aarons  officiating  as  presbytery. 
Brother  Merrell  is  a  sociable,  genial  companion,  a  careful 
speaker,  an  earnest  Christian,  and  a  firm  believer  in  .missions 
and  education.  On  all  the  moral  questions  of  the  times  he  is 
as  straight  as  a  shingle.  He,  by  his  various  pastorates,  is  asso- 
ciated with  the  Alabama  District  and  the  Union  Associations, 
and  in  both  bodies  he  is  held  in  high  esteem  by  all  the 
thoughf  ul  and  pious  persons. 

Indeed,  he  is  respected  by  all  who  know  him,  white  and 
black.  Because  of  his  quietness  and  sunshine,  as  well  as  for 
his  musical  talent  and  skill,  he  is  in  special  demand  at  our 
annual  and  extra  meetings. 

Mureell,  Rev.  Prince. — Rev.  Prince  Murrell  was  born 
in  Savannah,  Ga.,  January  1,  1817.  His  mother,  who 
descended  of  a  Congo  prince,  was  born  in  Providence,  R.  I. 
His  father  was  the  son  of  an  Englishman,  of  the  name  of 
Murrell.  Some  of  his  youthful  years  were  spent  with  his 
parents  in  South  Carolina.  In  the  yearlS38,  his  mother  with 
seven  children,  he  being  the  youngest,  moved  to  Tuscaloosa, 
Ala.  At  this  time  no  member  of  the  family  knew  anything 
of  the  Christian  life.  In  1839  his  mother  was  baptized,  which 
incident  excited  such  serious,  impressions  in  her  son  as  re- 
sulted in  his  baptism  in  August,  1842.  About  this  time  he 
began  to  speak  and  exhort  as  he  had  opportunity.  At  the 
close  of  the  war  he  had  been  a  member  of  the  Tuscaloosa 
Church  (white)  about  ten  years,  and  was  the  only  colored 
Baptist   preacher  in   Tuscaloosa.     This   brother  has   had  a 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  175 

rather  remarkable  career.  In  the  year  1855  he  bought  his 
freedom,  and  in  1856  started  to  Liberia,  Africa,  going  as  far  as 
Savannah,  Ga.  His  aspiration  for  liberty,  his  unaided  toiling 
for  the  mastery  of  letters  and  books,  his  tact  and  persever- 
ance in  organizing  the  colored  Baptists  of  his  section  into, 
churches  and  associations,  and  his  success  in  accumulating 
property  with  many  other  things,  mark  him  as  no  ordinary 
man.  His  marriage  to  Miss  Mary  Drisdell  in  the  year  1842, 
was  no  doubt  largely  conducive  to  his  energy  and  success,  for 
she — even  up  into  old  age — was  a  woman  of  strength  and 
industry.  The  first  colored  school  ever  taught  in  Tuscaloosa 
was  taught  by  him,  and  taught  at  a  time  when  to  teach  a  col- 
ored school  was  to  put  one's  life  at  the  muzzle  of  the  shot  gun. 
Touching  this  phase  of  work,  he  related  to  the  writer  the  fol- 
lowing stories :  "When  we  were  just  set  at  liberty  I  went  to 
a  white  Baptist  who  had  in  times  of  slavery  shown  himself 
friendly  toward  black  people,  and  said,  'Mr.  S — ,  we  need  a 
schoolteacher,  can't  we  secure  you?'  He  replied,  'Do  you 
think  I  would  disgrace  myself  by  teaching  a  negro  school? 
Besides  this,  it  would  be  only  throwing  into  the  waste  my 
time,  my  talent  and  my  strength.  I  might  as  well  drive  into 
a  room  a  drove  of  sheep  or  a  herd  of  swine,  and  put  books  be- 
fore them  as  to  put  books  before  kinky-headed  nigger  child- 
ren.' 

"On  one  occasion,  two  white  men  who  had  come  into 
town  to  bring  a  prisoner,  walked  into  my  school  room  with 
their  ropes  and  chains  in  hand,  and  teacher  and  school,  feel- 
ing sure  that  the  ropes  and  chains  were  for  their  necks,  were 
so  dismayed  as  to  excite  the  pity  of  the  dreaded  visitors,  and 
they  sought  to  remove  our  fears  and  to  encourage  us  to  con- 
tinue on  in  our  good  way." 

Speaking  of  the  organization  of  colored  churches  in  the 
South,  he  remarked  to  the  WTiter :    "I  was  in  Savannah  when 


176  COLORED  BAPTISTS  OF  ALABAMA. 

the  white  people  were  discussing  the  propriety  of  organizing 
colored  churches."  He  opened  the  first  Sunday  School  for 
colored  people  in  the  city  of  Tuscaloosa  the  first  Sunday  in 
December,  1866.  He  claimed  to  owe  most  of  his  success  in 
the  study  of  divine  truth  to  the  Rev.  Chas.  Manly.  On  July  1 
he  organized  the  African  Baptist  Church  in  Tuscaloosa  with 
25  members.  As  he  did  not  begin  reading  till  he  was  22 
years  old  he  was  not  faultless  in  his  mastery  of  the  English 
language,  but  was  a  good  speaker,  self-possessed  and  ready  in 
words.  Mr.  Murrell  was  one  of  the  leading  fathers  of  the 
Alabama  work.  His  children  were  a  pride  to  him  in  his  old 
age. 

In  the  last  years  of  his  life  he  spoke  tenderly  of  his  old 
mistress  who  encouraged  him  to  learn  to  read,  and  of  his 
maiden  mistress,  who  in  many  ways  saved  him  from  oppres- 
sion and  aided  him  in  securing  his  liberty. 

Since  the  above  sketch  was  commenced  Mr.  Murrell  and 
his  good  wife  have  exchanged  the  cross  for  the  crown. 

Nichols,  Rev.  James,  of  Greenville,  moderator  and  mis- 
sionary of  the  Union  Association,  was  born  in  Virginia  May 
10,  1842,  and  was  brought  to  Alabama  September,  1856,  locat- 
ing at  Selma,  where  he  joined  the  church  and  was  baptized  by 
the  Rev.  Mr.  McCraw,  who  was  then  pastor  both  of  the  col- 
ored and  of  the  white  churches  of  that  city.  At  this  time,  as 
the  dates  will  show,  he  was  a  young  man.  It  was  in  this  same 
church  and  city  that  he  began  the  work  of  the  ministry  dur- 
ing the  days  of  slavery. 

His  first  marriage  was  to  Miss  Emma  Allison,  of  Dallas 
county.  The  fruit  of  this  marriage  was  two  sons  and  one 
daughter,  neither  of  whom  is  now  living.  His  present  wife 
has  two  living  children.    He  has  an  humble  home  of  his  own. 

Mr.  Nichols  is  a  man  of  energy,  industry  and  decision  of 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  .  177 

character ;  he  has  opinions  and  has  the  courage  to  express 
them.  No  man  has  any  trouble  in  times  of  controversy  to 
locate  him,  and  yet  in  his  rulings  as  presiding  officer  of  the 
above  named  association,  the  writer  has  seeu  evidences  of 
prudence  and  commendable  flexibility. 

His  early  life  was  robbed  of  literary  environments,  and 
hence  he  is  not  an  extensive  reader  of  books  ;  but  his  knowl- 
edge of  things  is  superior  to  many  whose  advantages  have 
been  far  better  than  his  have  been.  He  says  that  he  knew  ab- 
solutely nothing  of  letters  till  since  the  close  of  the  war,  when 
he  had  a  little  opportunity  to  attend  night  school  at  Union- 
town. 

He  was  ordained  in  1873  at  Georgiana,  Butler  county,  by 
Revs.  Dan  Shepard,  Nelson  Briggs,  Jesse  Holens  and  others, 
and  he  has  done  a  good  work  in  his  section. 

Northckoss,  Rev.  W.  E.,  of  Tuscumbia,  Colbert  county, 
was  born  in  Colbert  county,  Ala.,  in  1840,  and  ordained  to  the 
gospel  ministry  in  1867  by  Rev.  Mr.  Slater  (white)  and  Rev. 
Henry  Bynum. 

Mr.  Northcross  is  strictly  a  pioneer.  He,  Rev.  Stephen 
Coleman  and  Rev.  Henry  Bynum,  aided  by  Dr.  Joseph  Shack- 
leford  (white;  laid  down  the  foundation  stones  in  Morgan, 
Franklin,  Colbert,  Lauderdale  and  Lawrence  counties. 

He  is  a  peculiar  man.  He  is  a  man  of  very  positive  na- 
ture— with  him  it  is  yea  and  amen. 

To  those  who  do  not  know  him  as  well  as  to  those  who 
vacilate  and  pretend,  his  sternness  is  repelling.  But  behind 
and  below  external  appearances  there  is  a  heart  that  is  as  ten- 
der as  it  is  brave,  and  as  kind  as  it  is  firm.  Except  a  little 
time  spent  in  the  Roger  Williams  University,  he  has  had  no 
school  advantages,  but  he  reads  and  writes  fairly  well. 

The  Tuscumbia,  Barton  and  Sheffield  churches  were  built 


178    •        COLORED  BAPTISTS  OF  ALABAMA. 

up  under  his  labors.  In  the  formation  of  the  Muscle  Shoals 
Association  at  Tuscumbia  in  1869,  he  was  one  of  the  lead- 
ing  spirits.      He  relates  the  following  incidents : 

"  Before  the  close  of  the  war  I  was  captured  by  the  Fed- 
eral troops  and  carried  to  Decatur,  where  I  joined  their  army. 
As  I  had  a  crippled  foot  I  was  allowed  to  remain  with  the 
commissary  department.  While  we  were  camped  at  Athens, 
General  Forest  came  upon  us  and  defeated,  captured  and 
killed  until  we  were  almost  literally  wiped  out  of  existence. 
I  had  been  kind  to  some  little  white  children  by  which  I  had 
won  their  love  and,  of  course,  the  love  of  their  parents.  There- 
fore, in  the  time  of  danger,  I  rushed  to  this  house,  and  the 
good  people  hid  me  and  changed  my  clothes.  Hence  when  I, 
was  found,  I  was  taken  for  one  of  the  gentleman's  slaves. 
When  I  was  permitted  by  the  man  to  try  to  return  to  Tus- 
cumbia and  had  gone  some  distance,  I  was  caught  by  de- 
serters from  the  Southern  army,  who  voted  to  shoot  me. 
They  bound  me  and  kept  me  over  night,  intending  to  do 
away  with  me  the  next  day.  It  was  in  a  lonely  desert  on 
the  Tennessee  river.  I  could  not  sleep,  and  so  all  night  I 
prayed  to  God,  and  all  night  the  wives  of  the  men  prayed  for 
"  the  poor  nigger  " — prayed  to  their  cruel  husbands.  Their 
cries  and  tears  prevailed,  and  I  was  robbed  and  let  go  after  I 
had  vowed  not  to  reveal  their  whereabouts.  I  left  loving  God 
and  believing  in  his  faithfulness  to  his  people  as  I  had  never 
done  before." 

For  years  Mr.  Northcross  has  been  the  trusted  treasurer 
of  the  Muscle  Shoals  Association.  He  is  the  pastor  of  the 
largest  church,  and  has  the  best  edifice,  in  northern  Alabama. 

Oden-,  Rev.  M.  C.  B.,  of  Sylacauga,  was  born  in  Charles- 
ton, S.  C,  December  24,  1839.  He  was  baptized  by  Rev.  J.  J. 
D.  Renfroe,  D.  D.,  in  September,  1865,  and  in  1873  he  was  set 


■  -.-■-  •/ 


Mrs.  Rebecca  Pitts,  Member  Board  of  Trustees  Woman's  State  Convention, 
Uniontown,  Ala. 


180  COLORED  BAPTISTS  OF  ALABAMA. 

apart  to  the  work  of  the  gospel  ministry,  Rev.  W.  Wilks,  and 
others,  officiating  as  presbytery.  He,  in  speaking  of  the  rise 
of  the  work  in  this  section,  says  :  "I  came  from  South  Caro- 
lina in  1858,  a  Methodist.  There  were  nineteen  or  twenty 
other  slaves  on  our  place  beside  myself.  I,  and  one  other, 
professed  to  be  Christians.  The  master  of  the  place  permitted 
us  to  hold  prayer  services,  and  allowed  the  slaves  of  his  kin 
people  to  attend.  The  Lord  blessed  these  meetings  and  at  the 
close  of  the  war  this  humble  beginning  was  ready  to  unfold 
into  the  Harpersville  Church.  At  the  close  of  the  war,  I 
began  to  teach  night  and  Sunday  Schools,  and  thus  introduced 
the  study  of  letters,  though  in  the  Sunday  School  as  well  as 
in  the  night  school,  we  had  nothing  but  the  '  blue  back  speller.' " 
Brother  Oden  is  an  honorable,  outspoken,  industrious,  prosper- 
ous man,  whose  hospitality  is  known  far  and  wide.  His  home 
has  often  been  an  asylum  of  rest  to  the  writer,  as  well  as  to 
other  missionaries  of  Alabama  of  all  denominations. 

O'Bbtant,  Rev.  L.  F.,  of  Eufaula,  the  sou  of  Frederick 
and  Hose  O'Bryant,  was  born  on  the  Dent  plantation  in  Bar- 
bour county,  Ala.,  in  the  year  1860.  In  1879  he  was  converted 
to  the  faith  of  the  gospel  under  the  preaching  of  Rev.  Jerry 
Shorter,  and  was  baptized  into  the  Pleasant  Grove  Baptist 
Church.  At  the  call  of  the  above  named  church,  he  was  set 
apart  to  the  work  of  the  gospel  ministry  in  18S5  by  Revs.  J. 
Q.  A.  Wilhite,  A.  Gachet,  J.  D.  Maddox,  E.  May  and  J.  A. 
Alston,  of  Arkansas.  Notwithstanding  his  educational  ad- 
vantages have  been  very  meagre,  he  has,  by  constant  study 
and  observation,  advanced  to  a  fair  knowledge  of  books.  He 
is  a  loving  husband,  a  successful  pastor,  a  strong  preacher,  a 
genial  associate,  and  carries  sunshine  everywhere.  The  writer 
was  associated  with  him  for  some  weeks  in  the  institute  work 
at  Eufaula,  and  was  truly  delighted  with  his  urbanity  and  in- 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  181 


nocent  wit.  He  is  a  young  man  of  hopeful  prospects — if  his 
present  wise  course  should  continue  to  the  end.  His  father 
before  him  is  a  Baptist  minister,  whose  life  is  held  in  high 
esteem,  and  hence  the  subject  of  this  sketch  comes  into  his 
public  career  having  his  own  excellent  personal  graces  savored 
by  the  good  name  of  his  revered  ancestor. 

Owens,  Rev.  A.  J.,  of  Moulton,  is  an  ex-student  of  Selma 
University;  he  is  an  agreeable  companion,  a  kind  father,  an. 
orderly  thinker  and  a  forcible  preacher.  The  writer  has 
greatly  enjoyed  the  hospitalities  of  his  home  and  the  abund- 
ance of  his  good  humor. 

Owkxs,  Rev.  Albert  Fraxklyx,  editor  of  the  Baptist 
Leader  and  pastor  at  Mobile,  was  born  in  Wilcox  county, 
Ala.,  January  1,  1854.  Early  in  life  he  left  Alabama  for 
Louisiana,  in  which  state  he  was  led  to  exercise  faith  in  the  Son 
of  God  and  was  baptized  into  Little  Mt.  Zion  Church  by  the 
Rev.  G.  Stemley,  of  Avoyelles  Parish.  In  April,  1873,  he  was 
licensed  to  enter  upon  the  work  of  the  gospel  ministry.  At 
the  call  of  the  Third  Baptist  Church,  Mobile,  Ala.,  he  was 
ordained  to  the  functions  of  the  ministerial  office  by  the  Com- 
mon Street  Baptist  Church,  New  Orleans,  La.,  May  28,  1877, 
by  a  council  of  which  Rev.  Marsena  Stone,  D.  D.,  of  Ohio, 
was  chairman,  and  Rev.  A.  M.  Newman  was  secretary.  His 
longest  and  hitherto  most  prosperous  pastorate  has  been  with 
the  church  who  called  for  his  ordination,  and  whom  he  led  to 
the  purchase  of  their  neat  brick  edifice  on  St.  Anthony  street. 

Beginning  with  them  in  the  spring  of  1887,  he  left  them 
for  Uniontown,  September,  189U,  in  excellent  quarters  and 
free  from  debt.  This  he  did  at  such  patient  self-sacrifice  as 
may  be  found  in  only  a  very  few  men  of  his  age. 

In    1873    he   entered   Leland    University,   New  Orleans, 


182  COLORED    BAPTISTS     OF     ALABAMA. 

where  he  remained  four  years  persuing  the  classical  and  theo-'f> 
logical  courses  under  Drs.  Gregory  and  Stone. 

While  in  Louisiana  he  was  engaged  in  teaching  school  ;. 
and  was  intimately  associated  with  the  general  Baptist  work,  \ 
being  at  one  time  editor  of  their  state  organ,  the  Baptist  Mes-  ! 
senger.     In  1884-85  he  was  editor  of  the  Baptist  Pioneer,  lo- 
cated at  Selma,  Ala.,  and  has  served  as  general  superintendent 
of  missions  for  the  State  of  Alabama.     For  many  years  he  I 
has  been  on  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  Selma  University,  and 
in  recognition  of  bis  solid  worth  and  general  information  he  V 
is  now  the  bearer  of  our  denominational  standard. 

Mr.  Owens  is  a  typical,  Christian  gentleman.  No  other 
man  among  us  has  a  library  so  select,  so  varied  and  so  valu- 
able  as  he  has,  nor  has  any  man  in  Alabama  a  clearer  evidence 
of  literary  talent  and  literary  relish.  He  is  a  many-sided  man, 
and  the  beauty  of  his  solid  personal  qualities  is  greatly  en- 
hanced by  his  indigenous  vivacity,  unstinted  hospitality,  and 
perennial  benevolence.  In  the  hovels  of  the  poor  and  in  the 
times  of  the  sources  of  disease,  no  man  among  us  is  more 
welcome  than  he,  neither  is  there  one  of  his  brethren  whose 
duty  renders  more  heedless  of  danger  or  blind  to  personal 
privations  and  material  losses.  Whether  he  builds  houses  of 
worship,  preaches,  lectures,  teaches,  writes— whatever  may(be 
the  engagement  of  the  hour,  that  engagement  focusses  the 
whole  man.  The  following  incidents  will  show  something  of 
the  style  of  his  mind  :  On  one  occasion  when  severely  tried 
in  administering  discipline,  and  when  he  had  allowed  his  feel- 
ings of  indignation  to  run  too  high,  he  was  so  distressed  that 
for  many  nights  sleep  almost  entirely  forsook  him.  The 
writer  overheard  him  on  this  occasion,  saying,  "Against 
thee,  thee  only,  have  I  sinned,  and  done  this  evil  in  thy  sight." 

Upon  another  occasion  in  the  midst  of  a  session 
of  the  Convention,  and  as  one  of  the  policemen  of  the  town 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  183 


walked  in  and  was  seated,  he  arose  and  remarked :  "Brother 
president,  I  see  in  our  assembly  a  policeman  of  the  city  in 
which  we  are  convened.  I  think  this  a  fit  time  to  give  notice 
to  any  who  may  feel  incline!  to  be  unruly  that  they  must  ob- 
serve good  order  or  I'll  have  them  arrested."  This  came  in 
just  at  a  condition  of  the  meeting  when  a  bit  of  humor  was 
just  the  thing  most  needed. 

The  St.  Anthony  Street  Church,  Mobile,  is  a  tangible  me- 
morial of  his  energy,  self-sacrifice  and  patient  industry.  Be- 
side the  pastorate  of  the  St.  Anthony  Street  Church  (the 
Third  Baptist),  he  has  served  in  the  pastorate  of  the  Dexter 
Avenue,  Montgomery,  and  in  the  pastorate  of  the  church  at 
Uniontown. 

His  speeches  are  characterized  by  originality,  clearness, 
force  and  dignity.  He  is  still  a  growing  man — growing  in 
worth  of  manhood  and  in  the  confidence  and  love  of  the  de- 
nomination ;  and  should  his  health  and  life  continue,  the  his- 
torian who  will  write  of  a  brighter  day  than  this — a  day  not 
far  in  the  future — will  point  with  pride  to  this  man  of  rare 
gifts,  giving  more  space  than  is  here  accorded  him.  With 
special  pleasure  the  writer  records  the  name  of  Albert  F. 
Owens,  D.  D.,  high  upon  the  roll  of  his  personal  friends. 

And  this  short  notice  of  a  worthy  man  can  hardly  close 
at  a  point  of  greater  beauty  than  in  an  humble  tribute  to  his 
other  self,  Mrs.  Mary  Mims  Owens  (once  Mrs.  Taylor),  whom 
he  wedded  in  1882,  and  who  is  held  in  high  esteem  as  a  leader 
in  church  and  educational  circles. 

Pettifoed,  Rev.  "W.  R.,  D.  D.,  son  of  "William  and  Matilda 
Pettiford,  was  born  in  Granville  county,  X.  C,  January  20, 
1847.  He  was,  when  a  boy,  of  an  industrious  turn  of  mind, 
working  faithfully  at  whatever  his  hands  found  to  do.    At  one 


184  COLORED    BAPTISTS    OF    ALABAMA 

time  he  was  with  the  tanner,  and  at  another  time  he  was 
running  his  father's  farm. 

At  the  age  of  21  years  he  united  with  the  Baptist  Church 
of  Rocksboro,  Person  county,  N.  C,  and  was  immersed  by  the 
Rev.  Ezekiel  Horton,  of  Salisbury.  While  he. was  serving 
this  church  as  clerk,  he  told  his  mother,  as  a  secret  which  he  - 
greatly  desired  she  would  not  reveal,  that  he  felt  called  to  the 
gospel  ministry.  As  Brother  Horton  often  put  up  at  their 
home  he  soon  got  possession  of  the  secret.  Dr.  Pettiford  now 
says:  "  When  I  was  called  into  an  examining  council  and 
learned  that  my  secret  was  out,  I  was  very  much  frightened ; 
but  the  advice  given  upon  this  day  has  ever  been  helpful  to 
me."  The  writer  met  the  subject  of  this  sketch  for  the  first . 
time  at  the  session  of  the  State  Convention  held  in  Talladega 
in  November,  1876.  He  and  the  late  Senator  A.  H.  Curtis 
were  messengers  from  the  church  at  Marion.  At  this  time 
the  only  traits  that  were  especially  noticeable  were  the  frank- 
ness of  his  countenance  and  the  geniality  of  his  manners. 
At  the  commencement  of  Selma  University  in  the  winter  of 
1877-78,  he  joined  Brother  Woodsmall,  becoming  a  member 
of  the  pioneer  faculty  of  the  school.  It  was  here  that  he  was 
seen  as  the  studious,  patient,  industrious  man -loved  no  less 
by  tender  youth  than  he  was  trusted  by  riper  years.  He  was 
called  to  ordination  by  the  Marion  Church,  Marion,  Ala.,  and 
dedicating  hands  were  laid  upon  his  head  in  Marion,  Ala.,  in 
the  midst  of  the  conventional  session  held  there  in  November, 
1880.  After  this  he  severed  his  connection  with  the  school  as 
teacher  and  as  financial  agent,  to  enter  the  pastorate  in  Union 
Springs.  His  open,  earnest  face,  tact,  and  urbanity  of  speech, 
made  him  one  of  the  most  successful  financial  agents  the 
University  has  ever  sent  upon  the  field.  He  relates  the  fol- 
lowing incident  in  connection  with  his  field  work  for  the 
school :     "  I  was  about  thirty  miles  southeast  of  Greenville,  Ala. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  185 

A  colored  man  by  the  name  of  Turner  had  just  been  mobbed 
in  Clark  county.  The  colored  people  along  the  road  were  ex- 
ceedingly frightened  at  the  threatening  attitude  of  the  whites, 
and  hence  refused  to  entertain  any  stranger.  1  knew  not 
where  I  was  and  it  was  now  dark.  My  horse  was  broken 
down.  Family  after  family  turned  me  off.  At  last  one  man 
agreed  to  entertain  my  tired  horse.  Thankful  for  this  little 
drop  of  kindness,  I  stopped  and  fed  my  animal.  Then  I 
started  off — I  knew  not  whither.  After  awhile  I  saw  through 
the  boughs  of  the  pines  a  dim  light,  which  seemed  far  away. 
Turning  towards  this  light  I  wended  my  way  through  sage 
field  and  bush,  until  I  stood  beside  an  old  log  hut,  a  rickety 
relic  of  an  old  time  Negro  quarter.  With  ease  this  tiny  spark 
peeped  through  the  great  opening  in  the  dirty  cabin  full  into 
my  weary  face.  Herein,  with  husband  and  wife  and  babies, 
and  a  lot  of  dirt,  I  was  allowed  to  rest  my  tired  limbs  and 
heavy  heart  till  morning. 

"  Upon  one  occasion  while  Bro.  D.  T.  Gulley  and  I  were 
on  mission  work  together,  we  were  delayed  in  Marengo  county. 
Waters  were  up,  Brother  Gulley  was  sick,  and  the  people  had 
no  money  to  give  for  educational  purposes.  I  went  to  beg- 
ging milk  cows  and  succeeded  in  getting  the  people  to  donate 
six." 

Mr.  Pettiford  married  his  present  wife,  Miss  Delia  Boyd, 
of  Selma,  Ala.,  November  22,  1880.  She  is  an  excellent 
woman  and  comes  of  a  fine  family.  As  might  have  been  ex- 
pected the  marriage  has  been  a  happy  one  for  both  parties. 

Dr.  Pettiford  is  a  clear  thinker,  a  concise  speaker,  a  firm 
friend,  a  lover  of  his  race,  and  a  fine  presiding  officer.  Every 
feature  in  his  bearing  is  indicative  of  the  true  gentleman  and 
earnest  Christian.  He  is  a  firm  friend  of  Selma  University, 
and  by  this  school  he  has  been  honored  with  the  degree  of 
D.  D.     He  is  at  this  time  (1892)  president  of  the  "Alabama 


Rev.  W".  C.  Bradford,  Pastor  First  Baptist  Church,  Tuscaloosa,  Ala. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  187 

Fenny  Savings  Bank"  and  of  the  Baptist  State  Convention 
of  Alabama.  He  is  further  noticed  in  connection  with  the 
chapter  on  "  State  Convention"  and  "  Selrna  University"  as 
well  as  in  other  chapters. 

Closing  this  sketch,  it  seems  fitting  that  I  should  remark 
that  though  he  excels  in  many  virtues,  he  is  especially  pecu- 
liar in  these : 

1  He  is  abundant  in  plans  and  measures,  so  that  the 
variety  of  his  operations  almost  wholly  exclude  the  monotony 
so  often  felt  in  church  work. 

2.  He  is  in  a  peculiar  degree  a  patient  man.  In  all  con- 
ditions he  seems  to  possess  his  soul  in  patience. 

Since  the  above  was  written,  he  has  been  elected  finan- 
cial secretary  of  the  State  work. 

He  is  now  organizing  the  Alabama  Publishing  Company. 
He  is  full  of  enterprise. 

Phillips,  Rev.  D.,  of  Tuskegee,  was  a  "  Father  in  Israel." 
Those  who  are  old  enough  to  remember  him  as  a  slave, 
say  that  he  sat  in  council  with  the  white  ministers  and  was 
permitted  to  speak  in  their  associational  gatherings.  Nothing 
seemed  to  disturb  his  peace;  no  amount  of  heated  discussion 
ever  caused  him  to  break  from  his  strong  hiding  place  of  pious 
humility.  He  was  a  large  man  with  strong  will,  but  every 
,ljot  and  tittle"  of  his  ponderous  being  was  under  submission 
to  his  consecrated  will,  which  ruled  all  like  the  helmsman 
steers  the  great  ship.  He  was  about  the  age  of  Mr.  John 
Dosier.  eighty  years.  He  refused  to  accept  freedom  till  all 
were  free. 

Peels,  Rev.  J.  A.,  pastor  of  the  First  Colored  Baptist 
Church  in  North  Birmingham,  is  a  rising  young  man  in  the 
Mount  Pilgrim  Association.  His  church,  though  a  new  enter- 
prise, is  a  success,  and  all  plans  for  gospel  aggression  find  in 


188  COLORED    BAPTISTS    OF    ALABAMA. 

him  a  ready  and  substantial  friend.  His  brethren  love  him 
because  he  is  peaceable  and  benevolent  in  his  dealings  with 
them. 

Pollaed,  Rev-Robeet  T.,  son  of  Rev.  R.  T.,  Sr.,  and  Mrs. 
Mary  F.  Pollard,  was  born  in  Gainesville,  Ala.,  October  4, 1860. 
A  few  years  after  the  close  of  the  late  civil  war,  Rev.  R.  T. 
Pollard,  Sr.,  moved  with  his  family  to  Enterprise,  Miss.  There 
the  subject  of  this  sketch  received  his  first  impressions— im- 
pressions which  were  to  serve  as  the  foundation  of  his  future 
character.  At  the  age  of  12  his  mother  left  him  for  the  better 
country.  The  boy,  reflecting  over  his  sad  loss  in  the  death  of 
his  mother,  turned  unto  the  Lord,  and  was  baptized  into  the 
fellowship  of  the  Mt.  Pleasant  Church,  in  which  he  imme- 
diately became  clerk  and  Sunday  School  teacher.  Thus, 
starting  right,  we  are  not  surprised  at  the  righteousness  of  the 
course  he  now  pursues. 

By  studying  at  night  under  his  fathers  instruction,  he,  at 
the  age  of  12,  could  read  and  write.  At  16  he  was  known  as 
"the  boy  preacher."  At  the  age  of  20  he  entered  a  school 
taught  by  Prof.  Paul  D.  Jones  in  Meridian,  Miss.,  in  which 
school  he  studied  arithmetic,  algebra,  English  grammar  and 
Latin.  He  remained  here  two  years.  In  1882  he  entered  Selma 
University,  under  Prof.  Woodsmall.  Of  this  good  man  he 
says :  "  His  consecrated  life  did  much  toward  fixing  my  charac- 
ter in  the  spirit  and  doctrines  of  Christ."  From  this  institu- 
tion he  graduated  with  the  class  of  1884  as  valedictorian.  In 
the  same  school  and  in  the  same  year  he  entered  upon  the 
college  course  and  completed  the  freshman  and  sophomore 
years.  During  this  time  he  was  assistant  teacher  in  the  Uni- 
versity. By  all,  and  throughout  all,  he  has  been  and  is  now 
accepted  as  a  student,  a  thinker,  a  rigid  moralist  and  faithful 
Christian.    In  March,  1885,  he  was  ordained  to  the  gospel 


BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES.  189 

ministry  in  Selma,  Revs.  E.  M.  Brawley,  D.  D.,  W.  H.  MeAlpine, 
H.  N.  Bouey,  A.  X.  McEwen,  C.  L.  Price,  and  C.  R.  Rodgers, 
officiating  as  presbytery.  After  this  he  entered  upon  and 
served  acceptably  different  important  pastorates  in  Perry 
county.  With  credit  to  himself  and  with  profit  to  the  denomi- 
nation, he  has,  as  teacher,  as  moderator,  as  recording  clerk  of 
the  State  Convention,  and  as  district  Sunday  School  mission- 
ary, served  the  Baptists  of  Alabama.  At  this  time  he  is  the 
successful  pastor  of  the  Dexter  Avenue  Church,  Montgomery. 
Thus  this  quiet,  hard  working  young  man  has  risen  up  till 
there  are  but  few  that  go  before  him.  Mr.  Pollard  is  a 
philosopher,  clothed  with  the  spirit  of  a  child.  In  him  a  full 
heart  balances  a  well  stored  head. 

Pollard,  Rev.  I.  M.,  of  Lochapoka,  is  one  of  the  few  men 
of  whom  we  sometimes  feel  that  they  are  Nature's  favored 
children.  So  evenly  balanced  are  all  his  tempers  and  passions, 
hopes  and  fears,  that  we  are  almost  compelled  to  think  that 
so  much  self-government  must  have  come  largely  as  the  gift 
of  nature.  The  writer  has  reasons  to  know  him  as  an  honest 
man — as  a  man  who  can  handle  the  money  of  his  neighbor 
without  fault  to  himself  or  loss  to  his  friend.  Mr.  Pollard  is 
held  in  high  esteem  by  all  who  know  him — white  and  black. 
He  was  born  about  the  year  1840.  He  possesses  a  fine  per- 
sonal appearance,  a  gentlemanly  bearing,  and  is  a  good 
preacher  of  the  plain  old  gospel. 

Posey,  Prof.  Thomas  H.,  of  Bessemer,  the  son  of  Wesley 
and  Patience  Posey,  was  born  September  15,  1854,  at  Besse- 
mer, Ala.  He  was  baptized  into  the  Canaan  Baptist  Church 
about  the  year  1872  by  Rev.  William  Ware.  Brother  Posey 
deserves  honorable  mention  for  his  faithful  services  as  an  edu- 
cator. He  graduated  from  the  normal  course  in  Selma  Uni- 
versity in  the  spring  of  1884,  and  has  proven  himself  to  be 


190  COLORED  BAPTISTS  OF  ALABAMA. 

not  only  a  power  in  the  affairs  of  secular  education,  but  a  very 
efficient,  faithful  worker  in  the  church  and  Bible  school. 

Prentice,  Rev.  D.  L.,  of  Selma,  Ala.,  son  of  James  and 
Caroline  Prentice,  was  born  in  Shelby  county,  Ala.,  December 
25,  1852.  The  home  of  his  youthful  days,  like  that  of  the 
writer,  must  have  been  in  a  wild  country  infested  by  wolves ; 
for  he,  in  speaking  of  how  he  had  to  go  after  wood  and  water 
into  the  thick  swamps  before  the  break  of  day,  says:  "On 
one  morning  as  I  found  myself  surrounded  by  wolves,  I  cried 
to  God  for  help  and  was  delivered.  In  my  prayer  for  deliver- 
ance I  made  a  vow  of  consecration,  which  was  the  beginning 
of  a  new  life."  In  1875  he  was  baptized  by  Rev.  Berry  Ware. 
About  the  year  1865-66  he  began  studying  Webster's  speller, 
and  sought  information,  he  says,  of  every  person  that  he 
thought  had  any  information  to  give.  He  learned  to  read  and 
write  and  began  figuring  under  the  instruction  of  a  Mr.  J.  W. 
Strong,  a  man,  so  it  is  said,  who  used  to  be  mayor  of  Selma, 
Ala.  The  writer  first  met  the  subject  of  this  sketch  while  he 
was  student  in  the  Talladega  College,  and  since  his  graduation 
from  the  Selma  University,  his  course  and  success  as  pastor, 
teacher,  missionary  and  lecturer,  has  been  watched  with 
pleasing  interest.  He  was  ordained  to  the  ministry  May,  1882, 
by  Revs.  Joe  Smith  and  Henry  Scott.  He  is  a  genuine  friend 
of  religion  and  education,  and  being  young  and  strong  he  has 
a  large  opening  for  future  usefulness  and  fame. 

Prixce,  Rev.  J.  T.,  of  Gallion,  Ala.,  son  of  John  and  Mary 
A.  Prince,  was  born  March,  1853,  in  Marengo  county,  Ala. 
He  was  baptized  into  the  fellowship  of  the  Bethlehem  Church 
by  Rev.  D.  R.  Willis  the  third  Sunday  in  April,  1871.  In 
1884  in  the  St.  Philip's  Church,  Selma,  he  was  set  apart  to  the 
work  of  the  gospel  ministry  by  Revs.  E.  M.  Brawley,  H.  N.  Bouey, 
C.  R.  Rodgers,  L.  P.  Foster  and  the  writer.    He  attended  Selma 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  191 

University  under  the  different  presidents — H.  Woodsruall,  W. 
H.  McAlpine,  and  E.  M.  Brawley.  He  began  his  education  by 
studying  under  a  white  man,  whom  he  paid  $1.00  a  week.  At- 
tended a  public  school  after  he  was  23  years  of  age.  He  taught 
in  the  State  school.  Is  now  district  missionary.  He  is  an  in- 
dustrious man  and  owns  good  property. 

Pullum,  Rev.  H.  P.,  of  Anniston,  son  of  Lawrence  and 
Caroline  Pullum,  was  born  in  Pickensville,  Ala,  March  23, 
1862  ;  baptized  at  Carrolton  August,  1SS2,  and  entered  imme- 
diately upon  the  work  of  the  ministry,  but  was  not  ordained 
until  March,  1889.  At  the  request  of  the  First  Colored  Bap- 
tist Church  at  Bessemer,  which  he  had  organized  and  built 
up,  Mr.  Pullum  received  the  hands  of  ordination  from  Revs.  P. 
Murrell,  W.  A.  Shirley,  S.  Page,  A.  J.  Austin,  D.  M.  Sewell. 
and  J.  C.  Crawford.  He  has  a  large  following  wherever  he 
goes. 

Pcrce,  Rev.  C.  L..  ex-p*resident  of  Selma  University,  is  no- 
ticed in  this  work  only  so  far  as  other  authors  have  not  been 
able  to  see  him  in  his  peculiar  relations  to  the  work  in  Ala- 
bama. 

It  was  in  1886, 1  think,  in  the  most  trying  period  of  our 
history,  that  Dr.  Puree  was  unexpectedly  called  (upon  the 
resignation  of  Dr.  E.  M.  Brawley)  to  assume  the  presidential 
office  in  the  Selma  University.  The  school  was  burdened 
with  $7,000  of  debt,  its  credit  was  about  gone,  its  debtors 
were  impatient,  its  supporters  divided,  and  denominational 
strife  was  at  white  heat**-"  The  former  president  was  not  only 
a  peculiarly  brilliant  and  cultured  man,  but  had  enjoyed 
special  advantages  looking  toward  fitness  for  the  presidential 
chair.     Many  feared  for  Air.  Puree. 

However,  it  was  thought  by  some  that  caution  and 
economy  were  the  special  characteristics  called  for  by  exist- 


192  COLORED    BAPTISTS    OF    ALABAMA. 

ing  conditions.  We  needed  a  man  who  could  shun  the  strife 
of  factions,  keep  cool  under  severe  pressure,  and  cause  the 
school's  expenses  to  drop  below  its  income.  Some  who  had 
watched  Mr.  Puree,  were  willing  to  trust  him  with  the  diffi- 
cult duties  of  this  trying  hour,  and  the  writer  records  with 
much  pleasure,  that  he  kept  clear  of  the  quarrels,  and  mean- 
while did  much  to  remove  the  debt  by  putting  the  school  on 
plain  and  well  regulated  fare. 

Dr.  Puree  has  done  the  Baptists  of  Alabama  very  praise- 
worthy service,  not  only  as  an  educator,  but  as  an  example 
in  the  matter  of  school  management;  and  those  who  follow 
him  will  profit  by  heeding  his  caution  and  economy.  And,  to 
his  honor  it  may  be  said,  we  have  had  no  president  who  has 
been  more  generally  loved  by  the  school. 

Ptles,  Rev.  Carter,  of  Oxford,  Ala.,  born  in  Talladega 
county,  Alabama,  December  15,  1845,  of  Christian  parents. 
He  was  baptized  in  1865  by  Rev.  Mr.  Jenkins,  a  white  minis- 
ter, who  devoted  much  of  his  time  to  evangelical  work  among 
the  colored  people.  In  1876  he  was  officially  set  apart  to  the 
work  of  the  gospel  ministry  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Jenkins,  William 
Taylor  and  B.  Snow.  Mr.  Pyles  is  among  the  leading  men  of 
the  Snow  Creek  Association.  His  pastorates  at  Jacksonville, 
Choccolocco  and  other  points  prove  him  to  be  a  leader  of 
ability.    He  is  now  undertaking  a  new  work  at  Oxanna,  Ala. 

Rivers,  Rev.  E.  C,  of  Talladega,  Ala.,  was  born  January 
5,  1847.  He  is  the  eldest  son  of  Mr.  Edward  and  Mrs.  H.  J. 
Rivers,  two  very  worthy  old  citizens  of  Talladega.  In  his 
twenty-fourth  year  he  was  married  to  Miss  Jane  Moore,  of 
Talladega,  by  whom  he  has  a  large  family  of  children. 

He  has  a  fair  English  education,  having  attended  the  Tal- 
ladega College  for  parts  of  five  sessions.     In  1867  he  united 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCIIES.  193 

with  the  Mt.  Canaan  Baptist  Church,  Talladega,  and  was  bap- 
tized by  the  late  Rev.  Phil.  Davis. 

He  was  called  to  ordination  by  the  Salem  Baptist  Church 
in  1884,  Revs.  J.  P.  Barton  and  Moses  Colly  officiating  in  the 
rites.  He  is  an  industrious,  prudent  man,  and  has  accumu- 
lated property  worth  13,000  or  $4,000.  At  this  time  he  is  the 
moderator  of  the  Rushing  Springs  Association,  over  which  he 
has  presided  with  dignity  for  several  years.  He  is  a  model 
citizen  and  substantial  man,  sociable  and  aspiring. 

Rivers,  Rev.  S.  A.,  of  Talladega,  the  son  of  Mr.  Edward 
and  Mrs.  H.  J.  Rivers,  was  born  in  Talladega,  November  10, 
1854.  In  a  series  of  meetings,  held  by  the  writer  in  Mt. 
Canaan  Church,  he  was  led  to  exercise  faith  in  the  religion  of 
Jesus  Christ  in  1876.  In  the  same  year  he  was  united  with 
the  church  by  baptism. 

He  immediately  began  laboring  as  a  leader  in  Sunday 
School  work,  in  which  he  at  once  proved  himself  to  be  a  very 
capable  person.  He  was  soon  appointed  Sunday  School  Mis- 
sionary for  the  Rushing  Springs  Association,  in  which  posi- 
tion he  was  remarkably  successful.  In  1877  he  married  Miss 
Elizabeth  Walker,  by  whom  he  has  three  promising  daugh- 
ters. He  is  a  graduate  from  the  theological  department  of  the 
Talladega  College.  He  is  an  industrious  business  man,  a 
Christian  gentleman,  a  clear  thinker,  a  ready  speaker,  a  social 
genius.  No  man  among  us  of  his  age  has  blighter  prospects 
than  he,  none  more  admired  and  loved.  The  manner  in  which 
he  has  succeeded,  under  trying  circumstances  in  the  Mt. 
Canaan  Church,  is  simply  amazing.  Toward  God  he  is  faith- 
ful, toward  man  he  is  kind,  gentle  and  full  of  service.  He  was 
ordained  in  1889  to  take  charge  of  the  Mt.  Canaan  Church.    ' 

Rivers,   Rev.   Alexander  A.,  of  Midway,  Ala.,  the  son 


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Rev.  H.  Woodsmall,  of  Franklin,  Ind.,   First  President  Selma  University. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  195 

'of  John  and  Violet  Rivers,  was  born  near  Glennville,  Ala.,  in 
the  year  1851. 

In  his  twentieth  year  he  was  baptized  into  the  Spring 
Hill  Zion  Church  by  the  Rev.  A.  Gachet,  under  whose  preach- 
ing he  had  been  led  into  repentance  toward  God  and  faith  in 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

It  was  not  long  before  he  felt  that  he  was  called  of  God 
to  the  work  of  the  ministry.  At  the  call  of  the  Enon  Church 
he  was  set  apart  to  the  sacred  office  by  the  Eevs.  A.  Gachet, 
P.  Johnson  and  F.  Randall.  Brother  Rivers  is  one  of  the 
strong  preachers  and  successful  pastors  of  the  Eufaula  Asso- 
ciation. He  has  had  very  limited  educational  advantages,  but 
he  is  a  constant  reader  of  books  and  a  close  observer,  and 
hence  he  has  made  considerable  educational  attainments.  He 
is  quiet,  unassuming,  even  and  hospitable.  The  writer  en- 
joyed a  very  pleasant  stay  with  Brother  and  Sister  Rivers  at 
their  home  in  Midway.  He  once  held  a  very  fine  pastorate  in 
Texas,  which  he  had  to  give  up  because  of  the  poor  health  of 
Mrs.  Rivers  and  return  to  his  old  home  in  Alabama. 

Roach,  Rev.  Perkins,  of  Stevenson,  father  of  Mrs.  M.  A. 
Boothe  and  of  Rev.  Thomas  Jefferson  Roach,  was  born  in 
Tennessee.  He,  with  Rev.  Thomas  Roach  (who  was  the  first 
ordained  colored  minister"  in  Jackson  county),  and  Rev.  Robert 
Caver,  organized  the  work  in  northeast  Alabama.  He  was 
noted  for  his  magnanimity  and  joyfjulness  of  heart.  It  is  said 
that  his  life  was  as  one  continuous  song  of  gladness.  When  a 
child  he  was  a  house  boy,  which  position  brought  him  into 
continual  contact  with  persons  who  knew  books.  He  so  far 
utilized  this  advantage  as  to  learn  to  read,  but  his  knowledge 
of  writing  was  delayed  till  since  the  close  of  the  war  his 
daughter  (now  Mrs.  Boothe)  had  sufficiently  advanced  in  her 
studies  to  instruct  him.     This  story  is  told  of  him :     During 


196  COLORED  BAPTISTS  OF  ALABAMA. 

the  war  his  mistress,  the  widow  of  Rev.  Charles  Roach,  Sr., 
fearing  the  Federal  soldiers,  left  home  and  fled  across  the 
Tennessee  river  into  Sand  Mountain.  The  slave  remained  at 
home  to  care  for  things  about  the  place.  With  the  view  of 
preventing  want  to  the  widow  and  those  who  were  with  her, 
he,  regardless  of  the  dangers  of  his  undertaking,  and  while 
the  shades  of  night  hid  his  operations,  would  bear  across  the 
river  and  up  the  mountain  such  things  as  he  thought  they 
might  need. 

He  has  been  dead  sonie  eighteen  years.  His  widow,  Mrs. 
Charlotte  Roach,  has  done  nobly  in  rearing  and  educating 
the  children. 

Roach,  Rev.  Lewis,  of  Fackler,  deserves  mention  as  a 
hard  working,  poorly  paid  gospel  preacher.  Many  years  he 
led  the  Mud  Creek  Association  as  moderator.  He,  Rev.  James 
Larkin,  Rev.  Lewis  Henshaw,  and  others,  are  trying  to  build 
an  academy  at  Hollywood,  Ala.     They  deserve  success. 

Roach,  Rev.  T.  J.,  of  Hollywood,  is  an  industrious  and 
honorable  man.  He  has  served  the  Mud  Creek  Association  as 
missionary,  has  been  pastor  at  Bridgeport,  and  now  preaches 
at  Paint  Rock. 

Robixson,  Rev.  Isham,  of  Eureka,  Talladega  county,  was 
born  in  Greenville,  S.  C,  October  10,  1814.  "While  he  was  the 
property  (?)  of  Mr.  John  Truss  (in  1833)  he  took  to  wife  Miss 
Aggie  Truss,  by  whom  there  has  been  born  unto  him  a  large 
family  of  sons  and  daughters,  who  are  now  grown  and  are 
honorable  members  of  society.  Brother  Robinson  was  bap- 
tized by  a  Rev.  Mr.  Joseph  Byers  in  1840.  He  said  to  the 
writer:  "  I  was  licensed  in  1850,  but  could  not  preach  except 
when  I  could  secure  the  presence  of  two  slaveholders.  I  was 
licensed  by  the  Mount  Joy  Church,  the  first  church  organized 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  197 

in  our  section  of  the  State.  I  was  ordained  in  1865,  by  a 
council  over  which  Rev.  A.  J.  Waldrop  presided.  I  was  so 
hindered  in  my  ministry  in  slavery  time  that  Brother  Henry 
Wood  and  I  covenanted  together  to  take  our  case  to  God  and 
beg  for  liberty.  We  agreed  that  we  would  go  at  sunrise  at 
least  once  each  week  and  pray  to  God  for  freedom.  It  was 
eighteen  years  before  the  victory  came,  and  often  appearances 
caused  our  faith  to  waver."  Mr.  Robinson  is  now  quite  old, 
but  is  still  in  fair  health.  His  sons  are  leaders  in  the  Baptist 
church  and  helpers  in  every  good  cause. 

Rodgers,  Rev.  C.  R.,  missionary  for  the  western  district 
of  Alabama  under  the  American  Baptist  Publication  Society, 
was  born  at  Hamburg,  Perry  county,  Ala.,  August  4,  1859. 

In  early  life  he  had  opportunity  to  attend  the  country 
school  of  his  neigborhood,  beginning  under  the  instruction  of 
Rev.  G.  J.  Brooks,  now  of  Selma. 

Living  on  the  farm,  his  early  activities  were  in  line  with 
his  calling.  He  was  a  farmer  boy,  and  hence  he  drew  his 
bread  and  bed  from  the  handles  of  the  plow  and  the  hoe. 

In  November,  1878,  he  entered  Selma  University,  gradu- 
ating from  the  normal  course  in  1884,  with  Messrs.  R.  T. 
Pollard,  L.  J.  Green,  R.  B.  Hudson,  D.  T.  Gulley,  —  Hines, 
Miss  S.  A.  Stone  and  Miss  Eliza  Washington  (now  Mrs.  R.  T. 
Pollard).  The  next  year  he  began  the  college  course  and  com- 
pleted with  Messrs.  Pollard  and  Hines  the  sophomore  year. 

Mr.  Rodgers  was  converted  in  his  fifteenth  year,  and  was 
baptized  by  Rev.  R.  Windham  September,  1S74. 

On  June  11,  1884,  he  was  set  apart  to  the  full  work  of  the 
gospel  ministry  in  the  St.  Philip  Street  Church,  Selma,  by 
Drs.  E.  M.  Brawley,  C.  L.  Puree  and  C.  O.  Boothe,  aided  by 
Revs.  H.  N.  Bouey  and  G.  J.  Brooks.  From  the  time  of  his 
ordination  till  December,  1890,  he  served  the  pastorate  of  the 


198  COLORED    BAPTISTS    OF    ALABAMA. 

First  Colored  Baptist  Church,  Tuskegee,  but  since  this  last 
date  he  has  been  successfully  operating  in  his  present  posi- 
tion. 

In  January,  1889,  he  was  wedded  to  Miss  Lily  B.  Fore- 
man,  of  Opelika.  Bro.  R.  is  a  man  of  excellent  spirit,  quiet, 
unassuming,  and  makes  changes  in  men  more  on  the  order 
of  the  sunshine  than  in  the  manner  of  the  storm  spoken  of  in 
the  fable  of  the  contest  between  sun  and  wind.  Perhaps  no 
man  among  us  has  so  few  enemies  as  he  has. 

From  1889  to  1892,  he  has  presided  over  the  Auburn  As- 
sociation. He  is  an  easy,  pleasant  speaker,  and  a  choice 
man. 

Ross,  Rev.  S.  L. — It  was  March  9,  1861,  when  the  subject 
of  this  sketch  was  born  of  slave  parents — Luckie  and  Emily 
Ross — near  Rehoboth,  Wilcox  county,  Ala. 

He  had  the  advantage  of  a  pious,  Christian  mother,  and 
was  hopefully  converted  at  the  age  of  12  years,  and  united  with 
the  Pine  Grove  Baptist  Church  by  baptism,  Rev.  Wallace 
Richardson,  pastor,  officiating. 

He  was  taught  his  "  A  B  C's  "  by  his  mother  and  grand- 
father. As  soon  as  free  schools  opened  he  was  placed  in 
school,  which  were  simply  poor,  for  schools  in  those  days  were 
kept,  not  taught. 

In  December,  1879,  he  was  sent  to  Selma  for  the  purpose 
of  attending:  school.  He  united  with  the  St.  Philip  Street 
Baptist  Church — Rev.  W.  A.  Burch,  pastor.  For  a  number 
of  years  he  was  clerk  of  the  church  and  superintendent  of  the 
Sunday  School. 

It  was  while  he  was  superintendent  of  the  Sunday  School 
that  Mr.  Ross  felt  called  to  the  gospel  ministry,  in  order  to  a 
better  preparation  for  which  he  entered  (1883)  the  Alabama 
Baptist  Normal  and  Theological  School  (now  Selma  Univer- 
sity), where  he  spent  a  number  of  years. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  199 

Having  received  a  call  to  the  pastorate  of  the  Hamburg 
Baptist  Church,  near  Marion,  Mr.  Ross  was  accordingly  or- 
dained March  31,  1889.  Ordaining  council:  Revs.  Charles  L. 
Puree,  president  Selma  University;  R.  T.  Pollard,  Sunday 
School  Missionary;  William  Madison,  J.  H.  Hunter  and  L.  J. 
Green.  Dr.  C.  O.  Soothe  and  Rev.  Charles  L.  Fisher  were 
also  present  and  participated. 

Rev.  Ross  was  married  to  Miss  Emily  C.  Boyd,  of  Selma, 
August  7,  1889.  October  1,  of  the  same  year  he  resigned  the 
Hamburg  Church,  the  Forkland  School,  which  he  had  taught 
for  a  number  of  years,  to  accept  the  principalship  of  the 
Eutaw  public  schools,  Eutaw ;  Mt.  Olive  Baptist  Church,  Boli- 
gee,  and  Liberty  Baptist  Church,  Blocton. 

Owing  to  her  thorough  training  and  long  experience  as 
instructress  in  the  city  schools  of  Selma,  Mrs.  Ross  has  con- 
tributed much  to  the  success  of  her  husband. 

Against  the  wishes  of  friends,  patrons  and  churches  be 
resigned  his  school  of  350  pupils  and  the  two  churches 
named,  to  accept  the  position  as  treasurer  and  instructor  in 
the  State  Colored  Normal  School,  Normal,  Ala. 

July  1,  1893,  he  severed  his  connection  with  that  school 
and  became  pastor  of  the  Steele  Street  Baptist  Church,  Hunts- 
ville. 

October  1  of  the  same  year  he  resigned  the  pastorate  of 

the  Steele  Street  Church  to  take  charge  of  the  Sunday  School 

Missionary  work  in  the  State  under  the  American  Baptist 

.  Publication    Society,    Philadelphia,  Pa.,    which  position    he 

now  holds. 

Savage,  Rev.  Daniel,  of  Mumford,  pastor  of  several 
large  churches,  deserves  to  be  mentioned  among  the  praise- 
worthy, busy  men  of  the  Rushing  Springs  Association.  He  is 
held  in  high  esteem  for  his  self-reliance,  stainless  reputation, 


200  COLORED    BAPTISTS    OF    ALABAMA. 

agreeable  manners,  public  spirit  and  earnest  Christian  labors. 
He  preaches  for  Shady  Grove  Church,  Jenifer,  and  Sycamore 
Church,  Talladega.  The  writer  has  seen  him  during  the  past 
fifteen  years — in  many  meetings  where  there  were  hot  words 
and  hotter  feelings  and  yet  with  him  there  was  the  same 
quiet  spirit,  the  same  smiling  face.  "He  that  ruleth  his  own 
spirit  is  better  than  he  that  taketh  a  city!" 

Sampson,  Mr.  James  William,  son  of  Rev.  Green  Samp- 
son, of  Wetumpka,  is  a  young  man  of  high  rank  in  the  order 
of  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  but  is  no  less  a  solid  efficient  mem- 
ber of  the  Shiloh  Baptist  Church,  of  Birmingham.  He  de- 
serves consideration,  as  a  man  of  discernment  and  enterprise 
concerning  racial  questions  and  denominational  interests. 

Scott,  Rev.  John,  late  of  Demopolis,  led  to  the  erection 
of  the  edifice  in  which  the  First  Colored  Baptist  Church  of 
Demopolis  now  worships.  After  the  Rev.  James  Caldwell, 
Rev.  Scott  was  the  chief  leader  of  the  people  in  his  section. 
He  died  five  or  six  years  ago  at  about  50  years  of  age,  and 
his  pastorate  is  now  filled  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Wallace. 

Scott,  Rev.  Anderson,  is  at  this  writing  pastor  of  the 
Tabernacle  Church,  in  Birmingham,  but  began  his  ministry  at 
Selma,  where  he  appears  among  the  organizers  of  the  work. 
He  has  undergone  a  good  many  changes,  but  because  of  the 
presence  of  a,  very  large  amount  of  vitality  and  will  force  he 
is  still  pushing  on  amp»g  his  brethren.  His  life  may  give  this 
useful  lesson,  namely,  "keep  the  face  to  the  lion,  never  give 
the  back  to  the  foe" — forgetting  the  things  that  lie  behind  us, 
vigorously  reach  for  the  good  that  lies  before  us.  Brother 
Scott  is  one  of  the  pioneers  and  his  name  lies  in  the  founda- 
tions. 

Scott,  Rev.  Henry,  of  Blocton,  is  of  Maryland  parent- 
age.    He  is  a  man  of  piety,  of  integrity  and  industry.  He  has 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  201 

labored  as  a  missionary  of  the  Shelby  Springs  Association,  and 
has  rendered  valuable  services  in  support  of  Selma  Univer- 
sity. He  is  an  uncompromising  foe  of  low  morals.  Recently 
his  health  has  been  poor,  and  hence  his  work  has  been  hin- 
dered. 

When  Selma  University  existed  only  in  purpose  he  very 
substantially  aided  the  purpose  toward  materialization.  He 
and  Rev.  P>  L.  Prentice  collected  over  a  hundred  dollars  from 
one  church  and*sent  it  up  to  the  writer' in  Talladega  in  1876. 

Shirley,  Rev.  W.  A.,  was  born  in  Tuscaloosa,  Ala.,  June 
12,  1857.  He  began  the  work  of  mastering  letters  in  his 
native  city  at  the  age  of  seven  years,  by  attending  the  public 
schools  provided  for  by  the  State.  Later  he  attended  three 
sessions  (of  nine  months)  of  the  city  school  in  Columbus, 
Miss.  For  seven  years  he  worked  in  a  whiskey  saloon,  where, 
he  says,  that  while  at  work  behind  the  bar,  he  was  converted 
to  the  faith  of  the  Christian  religion.  Joined  the  church  in 
1878  in  Mississippi,  under  the  pastorate  of  Rev.  T.  L.  Jordan. 
Studied  theology  in  the  Presbyterian  school  at  Tuscaloosa. 
Was  ordained  in  the  African  Baptist  Church  of  Tuscaloosa 
under  the  pastorate  of  the  Rev.  J.  M.  Mason.  His  pastorates 
have  been  at  Hull's  and  Birmingham,  Ala. 

For  ten  years  he  served  the  Antioch.  Bethlehem  Associa- 
tion, as  clerk.     He  has  built  three  church  edifices. 

Mr.  Shirley  is  possessed  of  that  easy,  joyous,  friendly 
turn  in  manners  and  address,  which  n»tke  him  agreeable  to 
all  classes  of  reasonable  people.  He  is  studious  and  observing, 
which  fact,  coupled  with  his  native  talent,  offers  him  an  ever 
broadening  field  of  operation  as  che  years  shall  come  and  go 
"Watch  and  pray  that  ye  enter  not  into  temptation." 

Simmons,  Rev.  J.  S.,  at  present  pastor  of  the  Gadsden 
Church,  son  of  James  and  Annie  Simmons,  was  born  in  Ala- 

14— 


202  COLORED  BAPTISTS  OF  ALABAMA. 

"1 

bama  August  16,  1859.     He  was  baptized  by  the  Rev.  Henrys 
Stevens  into  the  Greensboro  Church  May  27,  1878.     Mr.  Sina-"v| 
rnons  is  a  man  of  talent,  and  is  a  graduate  of  the  Lincoln  •*■ 
University,  once  located  at  Marion.    He  was  set  apart  to  the   • 
work  of  the  gospel  ministry  by  the  Sixteenth  Street  Church, 
Birmingham-  in  April,  1889,  Revs.  W.  R.  Pettiford,  D.  D.,  A. 
C.  Jackson,  and  R.  Donald,  officiating  as  presbytery.      Since 
his  ordination  he  has  served  the  Galilee  Church  at  Anniston, 
and  now  serves  the  church  at  Gadsden,  wheretis  labors  have 
been  especially  successful.     Everywhere  he  has   borne  the 
reputation  of  an  honorable  and  pious  man.    He  has  been  for- 
tunate in  finding  and  winning  a  helpmeet  for  him  in  his 
spiritual  and  intellectual  labors  in  the  person  of  a  very  excel- 
lent lady. 

Simpson,  Rev.  I.  T.,  of  Selma,  Ala.,  was  born  in  this  State 
August  1,  1858.  He  was  baptized  into  the  Belleville  Church 
December,  1876,  and  in  1883,  he  was  ordained  to  the  work 
of  the  gospel  ministry  by  Revs.  D.  Shepherd  and  C.  Travis. 
He  attended  the  State  University  at  Montgomery  and  is  now 
soon  to  close  a  course  in  Selma  University.  Brother  Simpson 
is  a  man  of  fine  sense,  is  a  good  speaker,  and  with  heed  on 
his  own  part,  sympathy  on  the  part  of  his  people,  and  bless- 
ing from  above,  his  opportunities  for  increasing  usefulness 
and  honor  are  very  encouraging.  Already  he  has  attained  a 
reputation  as  a  pastor  and  builder  as  well  as  orator. 

P.  S.  Since  the  above  was  written,  Brother  Simpson  has 
completed  his  course  at  the  University,  and  is  now  pastor  at 
Opelika,  where  be  is  already  the  peerless  preacher  and  suc- 
cessful leader. 

The  writer  has  the  good  fortune  to  know  something 
about  the  good  order  of  his  home,  and  of  the  hospitality  of 
his  refined  and  agreeble  wife.      He  is  peculiarly  himself  and 


Rev.  J.  E.  A.  Wilson,  Pastor  Rising  Star  Baptist  Church,  Pratt  City,  Ala. 


204  COLORED    BAPTISTS    OF    ALABAMA. 

not  another — clear  headed,  comprehensive,  reasonable,  self- 
reliant,  genial,  in  his  home  as  well  as  in  the  public  harness. 
Doubtless  the  historian  who  comes  after,  will  tell  of  the  fruits 
which  shall  hang  upon  the  ripened  years  of  this  strong  man. 
May  God  help  him  to  remember  that  Sampson's  strength  was 
the  source  of  his  ruin.  "Eternal  vigilance  is  the  price  of 
liberty." 

Smith,  Rev.  G.  S.,  is  pastor  of  the  Red  Mountain  Church 
Bessemer. 

Steinback,  Rev.  L.  S.,  ex-pastor  African  Baptist  Church, 
Tuscaloosa,  was  born  in  Marengo  county,  Ala.,  March  12, 1852. 
He  was  set  free  at  12  years  of  age. 

He  says  :  "  One  year,  all  the  wages  I  received  above  my 
scanty  meals  and  rough  clothes,  was  one  dozen  apples.  Often 
I  was  glad  to  obtain  a  good  meal  of  parched  corn.  At  19  I 
worked  in  Uniontown  for  50  cents  a  day." 

It  was  at  this  time  that  he  learned  his  alphabet,  studying 
at  night  school.  He  says  that  as  he'  went  to  his  meals  and 
to  his  work,  his  spelling  book  was  ever  with  him.  He  at- 
tended school  after  he  had  married — using  such  time  as  he 
could  spare  after  crops  were  "  laid  by." 

He  was  ordained  to  the  ministry  in  October,  1883,  Rev?. 
John  Scott,  F.  Gilbert  and  A.  Wright  officiating  as  presbytery. 
By  industry  and  perseverance,  he  has  been  able  to  teach  in 
the  free  public  schools  of  the  State,  has  been  missionary  in 
his  association,  and  is  now  pastor  of  one  of  our  largest 
churches.  He  lives,  he  says,  on  his  own  plantation,  for 
which  he  has  paid  three  thousand  dollars. 

This  is  an  example  which  is  well  calculated  to  encourage 
poor,  struggling  young  men  to  overcome  difficulties  and  rise 
anyhow — rise  in  spite  of  difficulties.  Brother  Steinback  has 
served  the  pastorate  of  the  Tuscaloosa  Church  and  also  edits 
a  newspaper,  The  Christian  Hope. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  205 

Stevens,  Rev.  Henry,  of  UniontowD,  son  of  Harry  and 
Agnes  Stevens,  was  born  near  Port  Royal,  Va.,  May  5,  1820. 
At  the  age  of  21  he  was  baptized  into  Flat  Run  Church, 
Orange  county,  Va.,  by  the  Rev.  B.  Hodge.  He  came  to  Ala- 
bama in  1843,  at  which  time  he  began  to  speak  concerning  the 
grace  of  God  in  the  redemption  of  sinners.  In  1845  he  began 
for  the  first  time  to  read  the  sacred  Scriptures,  and  in  the  same 
year  he  married  Miss  Clarissa  Clay,  by  whom  ten  children 
were  born  to  him. 

Mr.  Stevens  was  one  of  nature's  noblemen.  He  was  an 
honest,  outspoken  man,  an  orderly  citizen,  and  a  very  forcible 
preacher  of  the  plain  old  gospel. 

In  1868  he  was  fully  set  apart  to  the  work  of  the  gospel 
ministry  by  his  white  brethren,  Revs.  T.  M.  Bailey  and  Drs. 
Mcintosh  and  Curry. 

His  every  word  was  believed  by  all  who  knew  him,  and 
his  perfect  honesty  no  man  doubted.  For  nine  consecutive 
years  he  was  moderator  of  the  Uniontown  Association.  He 
was  one  of  the  founders  of  the  State  Convention,  and  also  of 
the  Selma  University.  In  1890  he  exchanged  the  cross  for 
the  crown,  dying  as  he  had  lived,  loved  and  respected  by  all. 
He  left  his  family  in  possession  of  good  property,  worth  about 
65,000,  and,  above  all,  a  name  that  has  no  blemish.  Often  our 
school  sought  refuge  from  want  in  the  purse  of  Elder  Stevens. 
He  was  two  years  older  than  his  brother  Washington,  who 
died  before  him  in  Montgomery. 

Stokes,  Rev.  A.  J.,  pastor  of  Columbus  Street  Church, 
Montgomery,  was  born  in  Orangeburg  county,  S.  C,  July  25, 
1858.  He  was  led  to  exercise  faith  in  Christ  at  the  age  of 
twelve  and  a  half  years.  He  entered  the  work  of  the  minis- 
try in  the  Methodist  church,  but  soon  became  convinced  of  the 
correctness  of  Baptist  views,  and,  joining  the  Baptist  people, 
he  was  baptized  by  Rev.  Edward  Green,  of  Branchwell,  S.  C, 


206  COLORED  BAPTISTS  OF  ALABAMA. 

May,  1871.  After  studying  two  terms  in  Crafting  University 
and  two  terms  in  the  State  University,  he  entered  Benedict 
College,  from  which  he  graduated  in  1884.  In  1874  he  was 
solemnly  set  apart  to  the  work  of  the  gospel  ministry  by  Revs. 
E.  Green,  Jacob  Govan,  Henry  Harvey,  and  Harry  Reeves. 
Brother  Stokes  has  been  missionary,  editor  and  school  com- 
missioner, and  is  one  of  the  most  successful  preachers  and 
pastors  in  all  the  land.  During  the  two  months  in  which  be 
has  been  preaching  in  Montgomery  he  has  added,  by  baptism, 
about  500  members.  The  writer  tried  to  learn  something  of 
his  methods,. by  visiting  his  meetings  and  young  people's 
classes,  and  the  following  points  seem  worthy  of  mention  ;  his 
preaching  is  characterized  : 

1.  By  the  idea  of  salvation  by  grace  through  simple 
faith. 

2.  By  narrative  and  portraiture  and  illustration.  There  is 
no  cold  obtruse  reasoning  nor  loud  emptiness  in  his  speeches. 

3.  By  pointedness  and  sympathy.  Each  man  seems  to 
feel  that  the  pastor  is  talking  to  him  and  that  the  heart  that 
speaks  has  a  care  and  tenderness  for  all. 

Then  he  is  sociable,  approachable  to  all,  from  the  lowest 
to  the  highest,  old  folks  and  children,  rich  and  poor,  great  and 
small,  wise  and  otherwise — all  seem  to  find  in  him  a  ready  echo. 
In  view  of  his  power  and  of  his  youth,  prayer  spontaneously 
rises  to  God  that  he  may  be  kept  in  watching,  in  humility,  in 
faith  and  in  faithful  service. 

It  is  worthy  of  remark  that  during  his  short  time  with 
Columbus  Street  Church,  he  has  bought  a  neat  and  valuable 
parsonage  for  the  church  from  means  raised  above  the  neces- 
sary expenses. 

Tatlor,  Rev.  William,  Choccolocco,  was  born  in  April, 
1836,  in  the  State  of  Georgia.     He  was  the  property  (?)  of  a 


Rev.  W.  X.  Sliirley,  Pastor  Sardis  Baptist  Church,  Enon  Ridge. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  207 


Mr.  B.  Jenks,  whose  daughter  married  a  Mr.  Taylor.  He  says, 
''When  in  my  ninth  year  my  mother  bade  me  farewell  with 
this  charge:  'Don't  kill,  don't  steal,  don't  keep  bad  company, 
don't  be  impolite  to  old  people,  don't  be  disobedient  to  those 
who  own  you,  and  you  will  never  be  abused.'  I  have  never 
seen  her  face  since,  but  her  words  have  ever  been  with  me  to 
confirm  me  in  the  right  way."  Brother  Taylor  has  now  been 
in  the  ministry  about  twenty-four  years,  having  entered  upon 
his  public  career  1868.  He  is  one  of  the  leading  men  of  the 
Snow  Creek  Association,  and  has  attained  to  a  fair  knowledge 
of  letters,  though  he  has  had  no  educational  advantages. 
Brother  Taylor  has  been  careful  of  the  welfare  of  his  family 
and  interested  in  the  affairs  of  the  house  of  God.  He  lives  on 
his  own  farm  near  Choccolocco,  respected  by  his  neighbors, 
both  white  and  colored. 

Thorxtox,  Rev.  Elbert,  of  Union  Springs,  son  of  E. 
Thornton  and  Matilda  Thornton,  was  born  in  the  State  of  Geor- 
gia, December  8,  1838.  In  1853  he  was  moved  into  Barbour 
county,  Alabama,  where  he  remained  till  he  was  emancipated 
in  1865.  In  June,  1861,  he  was  baptized  into  the  white  Bap- 
tist Church  at  Midway,  Ala.,  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Brooks.  In 
1868  he  was  united  with  the  church  at  Union  Springs,  and 
was  one  among  the  colored  brethren  who  drew  out  from  the 
white  church  to  organize  a  colored  Baptist  Church  in  Union 
Springs — the  first  colored  church  in  Bullock  county.  He  was 
chosen  one  of  the  first  deacons.  It  was  not  long  ere  his  breth- 
ren urged  him  to  enter  the  work  of  the  ministry,  which,  under 
a  deep  sense  of  duty  and  after  some  hesitancy,  he  did.  On 
the  5th  day  of  June,  1874,  at  the  call  of  his  church,  he  was 
solemnly  set  apart  to  the  sacred  office  of  the  gospel  ministry 
by  Revs.  C.  H.  Thornton,  B.  Clark  and  others.  When  he  took 
charge  of  the  church  it  was  in  debt,  but  this  debt  was  soon 


208  COLORED    BAPTISTS    OF    ALABAMA 

removed   and    the    membership  was   increased,  during   six  , 
years  pastorate,  from  48  to  188,  and  the  pastor's  salary  was": 
raised  from  $30  a  year  to  $25  per  month.    From  1874  to  1881 
he  was  moderator  of  Pine  Grove  Association,  and  since  his 
return  from  his  gospel  labors  in   Arkansas  he  has  been  re- 
elected.    Brother  Thornton  is  no  less  commanding  in  his  per-  . 
sonal  appearance  than  he  is  in  his  strong,  clear  intellect.    He 
is  a  strong  leader. 

Thornton-,  Rev.  C.  H.,  of  Aberfoil,  Bullock  county,  was 
born  in  North  Carolina,  in  1842.  He  was  baptized  in  1862  by 
a  Rev.  Mr.  Brooks,  of  Midway.  In  1869  he  was  ordained  to 
the  work  of  the  gospel  ministry  by  Revs.  R.  Wright  and  J.  G. 
Jett.  He  organized  and  built  up  the  Aberfoil  Church.  For 
several  years  he  was  moderator  of  the  Fine  Grove  Association. 
Mr.  Thornton  is  a  strong,  industrious,  economical,  persever- 
ing man.  He  has  obtained  property  worth  about  §3,000.  The 
people  whom  he  serves  at  Aberfoil  are  honorable  and  aspiring, 
and  hence  each — pastor  and  people — finds  in  the  other  the 
elements  of  success. 

It  was  within  his  comfortable  home  that  the  writer, 
weary  from  overwork  and  exposure  in  constant  travel,  found 
in  February,  1890,  a  quiet  retreat  in  which  to  finish  "Plain 
Theology  for  Plain  People." 

Troupe,  Rev.  Aaron,  of  Town  Creek,  Lawrence  county, 
was  born  February  14,  1851,  in  Morgan  county,  Ala.  Imme- 
diately after  the  close  of  the  war  his  parents  moved  to  Court- 
land,  Ala.,  where  Aaron  was  brought  up.  He  was  baptized  in 
1869  by  Rev.  John  Bell,  the  pastor  of  Red  Bank  Church. 
Feeling  that  it  was  his  duty  to  preach  the  gospel,  and  not 
willing  to  enter  upon  such  a  responsible  mission  without  pre- 
vious preparation,  he,  for  about  four  sessions,  attended  the 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  209 

Selma  University,  known  at  that  time  as  the  Normal  and 
Theological  School.  On  his  return  home  he  taught  in  the 
public  schools.  On  May  16, 1886,  he  was  ordained  to  the  work 
of  the  ministry  by  Revs.  G.  Garth,  M.  J.  Hooks,  A.  J.  Owens 
and  M.  James.  Brother  Troupe  has  served  in  the  church  at 
Huntsville,  and  is  now  the  successful  pastor  of  Macedonia, 
near  Town  Creek.  In  1882  he  labored  as  district  missionary 
under  the  Publication  Society.  He  promises  well.  He  and 
his  brother,  Deacon  Troupe,  are  in  the  bone  and  sinew  of  the 
north  Alabama  work,  and  in  them  every  good  thing  finds  a 
ready  echo  and  a  tangible  response. 

Tyler,  Rev.  Maxsfield,  of  Lowndesboro,  was  born  about 
twelve  miles  from  Augusta,  Ga.,  in  the  month  of  November, 
1826.  When  very  young  he  was  moved  into  the  city  of 
Augusta  and  lived  in  the  family  of  his  great  aunt,  the  wife  of 
Rev.  Jacob  Walker.  He  was  early  brought  under  the  influences 
of  the  Springfield  Baptist  Church  of  that  city — a  church  of 
colored  people,  which  as  early  as  1845  was  reported  as  num- 
bering 1.100  members,  and  it  was  added:  "This  large  com- 
munity, with  the  pastor  and  a  large  corps  of  exhorters,  are  all 
of  the  colored  race."  Rev.  M.Tyler  remained  in  this  Christian 
family  and  attended  the  services  of  the  above  named  church 
till  he  was  18  years  of  age.  He  says:  "I  was  with  them 
when  the  stars  fell." 

At  this  time,  as  he  was  a  slave,  he  was  removed  by  his 
master  to  the  State  of  Alabama,  where  he  has  remained  until 
this  writing.  In  April,  1855,  he  made  a  public  profession  of 
faith  in  Christ  and  united  with  the  people  of  God  by  baptism. 
Shortly  after  this  he  felt  impressed  with  a  call  to  enter  the 
work  of  the  gospel  ministry.  This  call  he  tried  to  obey  as  far 
as  his  condition  and  fitness  would  allow.  "The  work,"  he 
says,  "  was  exceeding  difficult,  as  we  were  not  allowed  to  know 


210  COLORED    BAPTISTS     OF     ALABAMA. 

books  and  might  receive  only  oral  instruction  on  religious  sub- 
jects." When  a  very  young  man  he  married  his  first  wife,  with 
whom  he  lived  for  twenty-six  years — till  her  death. 

At  the  close  of  the  war  he  located  at  Lowndesboro,  where 
he  went  immediately  to  work  to  organize  a  colored  Baptist 
church.  Success  attended  his  ministry  and  many  were  brought 
to  faith  in  Christ.  In  1867  he'  succeeded  in  organizing  the 
colored  Baptist  church  in  Lowndesboro.  On  June  27, 1868,  he 
was  ordained  to  the  work  of  the  gospel  ministry,  since  which 
time  he  has  baptized  1,000  persons  into  the  Lowndesboro 
church  and  500  at  White  Hall. 

When  the  Alabama  District  Association  was  organized  in 
1871,  he  was  elected  moderator,  and  is  moderator  at  this  time. 
He  was  a  leader  in  the  organization  of  the  Baptist  State  Con- 
vention, over  which  he  presided  from  1876  to  1886.  He  is  one 
of  the  originators,  stockholders,  and  trustees  of  the  Selma 
University,  and  is  now,  and  from  the  beginning  of  the  Uni- 
versity, has  been  the  chairman  of  the  board  of  trustees.  He 
is  a  man  dearly  beloved. 

In  recognition  of  his  Christian  manliness,  his  faithful 
labors,  and  his  knowledge  of  the  word  of  God,  the  above 
named  university  in  1890  conferred  upon  him  the  honorary 
title  of  D.  D. 

He  is  studious,  industrious,  devout,  urbane;  and  though 
he  is  now  about  68  years  of  age,  he  is  still  so  full  of  sunshine 
as  to  be  acceptable  to  youth  as  he  is  to  old  age.  His  present 
wife  heartily  joins  him  in  every  good  word  and  work. 

He  has  succeeded  in  accumulating  considerable  property, 
and  is  greatly  to  be  praised  for  the  care  he  has  bestowed  upon 
the  culture  of  his  sons.  He  has  been  among  the  chief  finan- 
cial supports  of  all  the  worthy  measures  of  the  denomination. 
He  is  very  sociable,  and  possesses  rare  powers  as  a  preacher. 
No  man  in  Alabama  has  so  much  power  over  the  Alabama 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  21  1 


Baptists  as  Dr.  Tyler;  his  works  as  well  as  words  make  him 
the  beloved. 

Walker,  Rev.  William,  of  Avondale,  was  born  Novem- 
ber 30,  1848,  near  Jacksonville,  Ala.  In  August  of  1866  he 
was  baptized  into  Bethel  Baptist  Church,  Alexandria,  by  Rev. 
George  W.  Brewton.  Mr.  Walker's  ordination  took  place  in 
August,  1876,  Revs.  G.  W.  Brewton,  S.  L.  McLean  and  James 
Miller  officiating  as  presbytery.  It  was  late  in  life  ere  he  came 
upon  opportunities  for  book  learning,  but  finally  some  good 
white  friends,  seeing  his  desire  to  learn,  assisted  him  in  mak- 
ing a  beginning  upon  which  he  has  made  a  fair  improvement. 
His  preaching  is  characterized  by  self-abnegation,  application 
to  the  subject,  and  earnestness  of  style..  Indeed  in  several  re- 
gards he  is  really  a  strong  preacher.  He  is  no  less  forcible  in 
the  pulpit  than  he  is  agreeable  in  the  parlor.  He  has  served  the 
pastorates  at  Gadsden  and  Anr.iston,  and  now  presides  over  the 
church  at  Ashville.  The  following  will  give  some  evidence  of 
his  standing  among  all  classes  :  While  the  Wills  Creek  Asso- 
ciation was  in  session  a  few  weeks  ago  in  Ashville  the  white 
Baptists  allowed  him  the  use  of  the  house  of  worship  for  the 
session,  and  the  Rev.  Mr.  Montgomery  (white),  of  this  town, 
informs  me  that  the  white  people  aid  in  his  support,  some  of 
them  constantly  attending  upon  his  services. 

Walker.  Rev.  T.  W.,  of  Birmingham,  the  son  of  Rev. 
Emanuel  and  Charlotte  Walker,  the  property  (?)  of  Benjamin 
Walker,  of  Coosa  county,  Alabama,  was  born  in  Coosa 
county,  Alabama,  September  5,  1852. 

He  joined  the  old  Elam  Baptist  Church,  Montgomery 
county,  Alabama,  in  May,  1879,  and  was  baptized  by  Rev. 
Jerry  Cole  in  the  same  month.  On  February  26,  1884,  he  was 
ordained  to  the  gospel  ministry  at  the  call  of  the  Sixth  Ave- 


Rev.  L.  S.  Steinback,  Pastor  Second   Baptist  Church,  Demopolis,  Ala. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  213 

nue  Church,  in  the  city  of  Birmingham,  by  Revs.  W.  R.  Petti- 
ford  and  J.  R.  Capers.     His  success  has  been  marvelous. 

The  writer  first  met  the  subject  of  this  sketch  in  Mont- 
gomery county  in  the  year  1879,  when,  though  he  was  not  a 
Christian,  he  was  acting  as  Sunday  School  superintendent. 
He  says  that  on  this  occasion  the  question,  "How  can  you  lead 
others  in  the  road  to  heaven  when  you,  yourself,  are  not  walk- 
ing therein?"  destroyed  all  his  carnal  security  and  false  ease, 
and  was  the  beginning  of  a  change  in  his  life. 

I  doubt  if  any  man  among  us  has  had  more  power  over 
the  masses  than  he.  While  he  was  building  the  Sixth  Avenue 
Church  there  was  a  constant  demand  for  more  room  for  his 
audiences.  And  since  he  has  been  serving  at  the  Shiloh 
Church,  the  writer  has  seen  not  only  the  building  filled  to  its 
utmost  capacity,  but  hundreds  of  eager  listeners  standing 
without  at  the  door. 

Those  who  know  him  best  feel  that  his  power  over  the 
masses  is  largely  owing  to  his  common  sense,  goodness  of 
heart,  and  his  simple,  steady  faith  in  God,  his  cool  self-reliance 
and  his  hard  work  for  and  among  the  masses  of  the  people. 

Future  historians  will  no  doubt  find  reasons  for  record- 
ing his  name  high  on  the  best  pages  of  their  books* 

He  relates  the  following  incidents  of  his  early  childhood 
"When  I  was  five  years  of  age,  1,  for  the  first  time,  enjoyed  a 
ride  to  town.  When  I  got  off  the  wagon  Mr.  Harrison  rolled 
up  my  shirt  sleeves  and  the  legs  of  my  pants  and  placed  me 
on  a  block  on  the  street  in  the  middle  of  a  great  crowd  of 
people.  I  enjoyed  it,  as  I  seemed  to  be  the  person  especially 
noticed  by  all.  I  saw  my  mother  and  father  weeping,  but  I 
could  see  no  reason  for  it.  When  I  came  down  from  the  block, 
I,  with  two  sisters  and  a  brother,  went  hunie  with   a  Mr. 

•See  chapters  on  Sixth  Avenue  and  Shiloh  Churches,  Birmingham,  and  the 
Mt.  Pilgram  Association. 


214  COLORED  BAPTISTS  OF  ALABAMA. 

House,  where  the  crack  of  the  whip,  the  yelp  of  the  hound 
and  the  howl  of  the  wolf  were  the  most  frequent  sounds  that 
fell  upon  my  ear.  The  fact  and  horrors  of  slavery  were  first 
hranded  into  my  heart  by  the  tying  and  whipping  of  my 
father  before  my  eyes.  When  I  asked  father  what  it  meant, 
he  replied :  *  'The  lash  which  I  fear  will  soon  fall  upon  your- 
self, my  son,  will  too  early  explain  what  is  meant.' " 

A  white  man  to  whom  he  hired  himself  taught  him  at 
night  his  alphabet,  and  started  him  to  spelling  and  reading 
during  his  eighteenth  year,  and  now  he  reads,  writes,  and 
manages  his  own  figures  in  business.     He  is  a  grand  man. 

He  has  organized  a  building  and  loan  association  with 
about  2,000  members. 

Ware,  Rev.  William,  of  East  Lake,  Jefferson  county, 
Ala.,  was  born  in  said  county  October  5,  1837.  He  was  con- 
verted to  Christianity  in  his  thirteenth  year,  and  was  baptized 
into  Union  Church,  near  Birmingham — that  is,  where  the  city 
now  is — by  the  Rev.  Willis  Burns  (white).  He  was  ordained 
to  the  work  of  the  gospel  ministry  November,  1868,  by  Revs. 
Edmond  Burris  and  Allen  McAlpine. 

The  Rev.  A.  J.  Waldrop  (white)  says  of  Bro.  Ware:  "  We 
never  had  in  Jefferson  county  a  man  of  more  stainless  charac- 
ter. He  is  not  an  educated  man,  but  he  is  earnest,  honorable 
and  upright." 

The  writer  has  found  Bro.  Ware  to  be  one  of  the  meekest 
and  gentlest  of  men.  He,  with  Rev.  Henry  Wood,  organized 
the  Mt.  Zion  Church  in  1878,  and  he  was  the  first  moderator 
of  the  Mt.  Pilgrim  Association.  He  has  held  various  pastor- 
ates, and  has  held  them  always  with  credit  to  himself  and 
profit  to  the  cause. 

He  lives  on  his  owrn  pleasant  home  and  quiet  farm  a  few 
miles  northwest  of  East  Lake.     He  is  still  an  active  worker, 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  215 

and  enjoys  the  love  and  confidence  of  the  people  among  whom 
his  light  so  long  has  shone  to  the  glory  of  God. 

Ware,  Rev.  Berry,  was  one  of  the  pioneers  of  the  work 
in  Shelby,  Jefferson  and  Talladega  counties.  Few  men  in 
those  early  days  had  more  power  over  the  masses  than  he. 
He  died  some  sixteen  or  seventeen  years  ago,  and  I  have  noth- 
ing of  his  history  or  nativity.  He  baptized  the  Rev.  D.  L. 
Prentice,  and  started  the  church  at  Aldrich. 

Webb,  Rev.  George  W_,  of  Eufaula,  Ala.,  was  born  in 
Russell  county,  Ala.,  in  1844.  Fortunately  for  him,  Capt.  TV. 
H.  Redd  carried  him,  while  he  was  still  quite  young,  to  Co- 
lumbus, Ga.,  where  his  perceptive  mind  was  permitted  to 
imbibe  such  ideas  of  refinement  as  did  not  exist  on  the  planta- 
tion. Here,  under  the  advice  of  his  parents,  he  entered  upon 
a  sort  of  irregular  course  of  study,  which  led  to  some  success 
in  book  knowledge.  As  Gen.  Wilson's  army  was  passing 
through  Georgia,  he  enlisted  as  a  soldier,  remaining  in  service 
till  he  was  mustered  out  in  1S66. 

He  was  baptized  into  the  fellowship  of  the  white  Baptist 
church  at  Abbeville,  Ala.,  by  the  Rev.  L.  R.  Sims.  In  1868  he 
married  Miss  Eliza  Collins,  and  in  18G9  was  among  those  who 
led  in  the  organization  of  a  colored  Baptist  church  at  Abbe- 
ville. In  1870  he  assisted  in  organizing  the  "East  Alabama 
and  West  Florida  Association."  In  1873  he  moved  to  Eufaula. 
He  was  ordained  to  the  gospel  ministry  about  1874-75.  Mr. 
Webb  is  a  very  energetic  man  and  a  successful  builder  of 
churches.  He  took  a  leading  part  in  the  organization  of  the 
Eufaula  District  Sunday  School  Convention,  and  much  of  its 
success  is  due  to  his  missionary  labors.  He  is  a  friend  of  edu- 
cation and  missions,  and  believes  in  progress  on  all  lines. 

Whatley,  Rev.  W.  H_,  of  White  Plains,  is  of  Georgia 
nativity,  but  came  to  Alabama  while  young.     Without  doubt 


216  COLORED  BAPTISTS  OP  ALABAMA. 

Mr.  Whatley  is  the  most  influential  man  in  Calhoun  county, 
and  yet  no  man  in  the  county  is  more  modest,  deferential  and 
unassuming.  He  is  a  man  of  power,  and  yet  he  does  not  seem 
to  know  anything  about  it.  For  years  he  has  been  the  moder- 
ator of  the  Snow  Creek  Association,  and  except  something  un- 
usual shall  occur  he  will  continue  to  preside  for  years  to  come. 
1  know  of  no  moderator  who  has  better  government  in 
his  association  than  Mr.  Whatley,  and  yet  there  seems  to  be 
no  effort  to  command.  He  exercises  an  oversight  over  every 
branch  of  his  associational  work,  appearing  in  all  the  general 
meetings,  whether  the  interest  at  stake  pertains  to  local  church 
work,  to  missions,  to  education,  or  to  Sunday  School.  He  is 
an  ex-student  of  the  Georgia  school,  and  attended  while  it  was 
located  at  Augusta.  And  it  is  a  fact,  much  to  the  credit  of 
his  white  brethren,  that  they  made  it  possible  for  him  to  attend 
school.  He  lives  on  his  own  valuable  farm  amid  his  children, 
who  are  now  maturing,  his  son  Charles  being  now  a  young  man. 

White,  Rev.  E.  C,  of  Tuscumbia,  was  born  about  the 
year  J  842  in  Chester  county,  S.  C.  In  1859  his  master  brought 
him  to  Alabama,  where  he  has  since  resided.  He  was  con- 
verted the  fourth  Lord's  day  in  October,  1869,  and  in  the  same 
month  was  baptized  into  the  Russell ville  church  by  the  late 
Rev.  P.  Jones. 

Brother  White  says :  "In  April,  1868,  my  wife  was  bap- 
tized by  the  Rev.  W.  E.  Northcross,  and  her  devoted  life  con- 
strained me  to  desire  peace  with  God.  My  wife  overthrew  all 
my  old  ways  and  lovingly  compelled  me  into  the  ways  of  the 
Lord."  At  once  he  became  zealous  for  the  cause  of  Christ, 
and  soon  began  to  speak  as  opportunity  offered  itself,  first  at 
Russellville  and  then  at  Tuscumbia.  At  the  request  of  a 
church  which  he  had  built  up  near  Tuscumbia,  Rev.  W.  E. 
Northcross  called  a  council,  and  on  October  8,  1873,  solemnly 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  217 


set  him  apart  to  the  office  of  the  ministry.  He  has  attained 
to  some  knowledge  of  books,  of  which  he  is  still  an  industrious 
student.  Before  his  whole  time  was  employed  in  the  ministry 
he  taught  in  the  public  schools. 

The  good  people  of  Russellville  and  Florence  have  long 
held  to  him  as  pastor. 

Brother  White  owes  much  to  his  excellent,  Christian  wife, 
who  has  been  a  helpmeet  for  him  since  1865.  He  is  a  hospit- 
able brother  and  faithful  Christian  minister. 

White,  Rev.  J.  W.,  the  son  of  Claburne  and  Elizabeth 
Hatcher,  was  born  in  Dallas  county,  Ala.,  in  October,  1839, 
eleven  miles  south  of  Selma,  on  the  Alabama  River.  He  takes 
his  name  from  the  Mr.  White  who  owned  his  mother.  He  was 
baptized  into  the  St.  Phillip  Street  Baptist  Church,  Selma,  by 
Rev.  John  Blevins,  in  September,  1868.  He  was  ordained  to 
the  work  of  the  ministry  by  the  above  named  church,  in 
August,  1875,  Revs.  J.  Dosier,  J.  Carter,  Henry  Stevens,  and 
John  Blevins,  officiating  presbytery.  Bro.  White  was  at  one 
time  moderator  of  the  Uniontown  Association ;  was  for  some 
months  missionary  under  the  American  Baptist  Publication 
Society ;  was  pastor,  at  different  times,  of  the  Mt.  Zion,  the 
Summerfield,  the  St.  Paul,  and  the  Providence  Churches,  near 
Selma ;  was  pastor  at  Camden,  Ala.,  and  recently  retired  from 
the  pastorate  of  the  Sixth  Avenue  Church,  Birmingham.  He 
has  from  the  first  been  officially  connected  with  the  Selma 
University,  in  which  he  studied  for  about  three  sessions,  being 
the  first  ministerial  student  who  was  enrolled.  He  is  an 
earnest  preacher  and  a  studious  man,  so  that  it  may  be  said 
of  him  that  he  is  an  elevator  of  the  people  on  all  lines.  He 
relates  the  following  story:  "During  the  war,  and  at  a  time 
when  things  looked  rather  dark  for  the  South,  my  stepfather 
and  I  were  attending  a  Presbyterian  meeting,  when  he  was 


218  COLORED  BAPTISTS  OF  ALABAMA. 

called  on  to  pray  God  to  'drive  back  our  enemies.'  Father 
prayed :  '  O  Lord,  drive  back  our  enemies.'  When  we  were 
at  home  alone  I  told  him  that  I  found  fault  with  his  prayer, 
for  it  was  really  against  the  interest  of  his  people.  The  old 
man  answered :  *  The  our  meant  the  colored  people,  and  the 
word  enemies  referred  to  our  oppressive  chains.' " 

At  this  time,  extending  from  a  time  long  before,  there 
was  an  organized  prayer  circle  in  Selma,  which  met  on  every 
Friday  night  beneath  a  great  oak  tree  in  the  woods  to  pray  to 
God  to  bring  liberty  to  the  slave.  Brethren  Alex.  Goldsby 
and  Charles  White  were  among  the  leaders  of  this  meeting. 
Doubtless  Bro.  J.  W.  White  knew  of  this  meeting  and  of  its 
purpose,  and  hence  was  hardly  prepared  to  hear  a  prayer  so 
seemingly  contrary  to  the  wishes  and  needs  of  his  people. 

Wilhite,  Rev.  J.  Q.  A.,  of  Selma,  was  born  August  13, 
1854,  in  Louisville,  Ky.  He  was  baptized  in  1866,  and  in  1878 
was  ordained  to  the  office  of  the  gospel  ministry  in  his  native 
city.  The  presbytery  of  the  occasion  was  Revs.  C.  C.  Stamm, 
D.  A.  Gaddie,  W.  W.  Taylor  and  others.  Shortly  after  this 
he  entered  the  gospel  work  in  Alabama,  beginning  as  pastor  of 
the  Second  Baptist  Church,  Eufaula.  He  came  to  supersede 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Bassett,  who  for  some  reason  had  returned  to 
Indiana.  Under  his  administration  the  Eufaula  Church  rose 
into  success  and  beauty  unequaled  by  anything  that  had 
passed  before.  Beginning  with  1886  he  was  for  several  con- 
secutive years  financial  agent  for  Selma  University.  Resign- 
ing this  work  he  was  for  sometime  pastor  of  the  church  at 
Uniontown,  where  he  was  attended  by  his  usual  prosperity, 
both  in  gathering  the  people  and  in  raising  finances.  This 
position  he  resigned  in  order  to  assume  once  more  the  office  of 
financier  for  the  University.  At  the  present  writing  he  is 
treasurer  of  the  University. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  219 

Mr.  Wilhite's  success  is  largely  owing  to  the  following : 
Self-reliance,  industry,  tact,  perseverance,  adaptability  of  him- 
self and  methods  to  the  condition  of  the  people. 

He  is  an  ex-student  of  the  Roger  Williams  University, 
Nashville. 

In  1872  he  wedded  Miss  Kate  Talbert,  who  has  presented 
him  with  a  large  family  of  promising  young  folks,  to  whose 
education  he  is  giving  special  attention.  He  is  to  be  com- 
mended for  that  economy,  as  well  as  industry,  which  has  en- 
abled him  to  possess  a  comfortable  home  for  himself  and 
loved  ones.  He  has  not  been  forgetful  of  the  welfare  of  them 
over  whom  God  has  made  him  guardian.  Like  very  few 
preachers,  he  is  a  good  business  man  as  well  as  a  good 
preacher. 

P.  S. — He  has  recently  built  a  brick  edifice  at  Uniontown. 
He  is  now  a  successful  pastor  in  Birmingham. 

Wilson,  Rev.  J.  E.  A.,  pastor  of  the  First  Colored  Bap- 
tist Church,  Pratt  City,  comes  to  our  denomination  from  the 
Methodist  Church.  He  was  born  January  1,  1861,  in  Fayette 
county,  Alabama,  and  was  led  to  submit  to  Christ  as  his  Sav- 
ior, September,  1882.  He  was  regularly  inducted  into  the 
Baptist  ministry,  September  27,  1887,  by  the  laying  on  of  the 
hands  of  a  council  consisting  of  Revs.  A.  C.  Jackson,  V. 
Huntington  and  others.  He  has  served  acceptably  at  Patton, 
Corona  and  Jasper.  He  is  unpretending,  quiet,  brotherly  and 
has  a  good  report  from  all  circles.  His  school  advantages 
have  been  rather  meagre,  but  with  his  youthful  vigor  and 
self-control,  coupled  with  the  abundant  facilities  for  an  in- 
crease of  knowledge  common  to  these  times,  he  may  yet  be  a 
man  of  learning  and  a  leader  in  letters.  Of  course  no  man 
can  hope  to  attain  to  knowledge  beyond  his  ability  to  study 
forever  and  without  any  thought  of  tiring  or  despairing. 


220  COLORED  BAPTISTS  OF  ALABAMA. 

Notwithstanding  he  is  a  man  of  strong  emotions,  he  has 
rare  executive  ability  and  is  hard  to  equal  as  a  leader. 

Wood,  Rev.  Henry,  of  Talladega,  was  born  August  15, 
1825,  in  Greenville,  S.  C.  His  father  was  a  lawyer  in  South 
Carolina.  He  came  to  Alabama  with  his  mother  when  eleven 
months  old,  and  was  settled  in  Jefferson  county,  near  Elyton. 

He  was  baptized  into  the  white  church  by  Rev.  Joseph 
Bias,  who,  at  the  time,  gave  it  as  his  opinion  that  "Henry" 
would  be  a  preacher.  Ordained  to  the  work  of  the  gospel 
ministry  just  after  the  war  (1867),  he  was  a  timely  instrument 
in  the  special  mission  of  organization.  Mr.  Wood  has  been 
one  of  the  pioneers  of  our  work  in  Jefferson,  Talladega,  Cal- 
houn and  St.  Clair  counties.  In  speaking  of  his  struggle  after 
knowledge  in  slavery  time,  he  says  :  "I  had  been  reading  for 
some  time  and  had  begun  to  learn  to  write  fairly  well,  when 
the  fact  came  to  the  notice  of  the  white  people.  They  tied  me 
up  and  laid  600  lashes  on  my  back;  and,  I  tell  you,  I  lost  all 
my  knowledge  of  writing  after  this."  Referring  to  his  mis- 
sionary and  pioneer  work  since  freedom,  he  relates  the  follow- 
ing: "For  the  most  part  the  white  people  have  treated  me 
well.  Sometimes,  however,  I  have  been  troubled  with  drunk- 
ards and  '  negro  whippers.'  As  I  was  riding  on  my  missionary 
work  in  Blount  county,  I  once  met  a  man  who  gave  me  such  a 
crack  over  my  shoulders  with  his  horse  whip  as  almost  broke 
the  skin ;  but  as  I  did  not  so  much  as  look  toward  my  abuser, 
he  let  me  go  with  no  further  harm.  I  passed  on,  thanking 
God  that  it  was  no  worse  with  me." 

Brother  Wood  is  a  man  of  excellent  spirit — is  as  jovial  as 
he  is  earnest.  His  life  has  been  temperate  and  chaste,  and  he 
is  approaching  the  death  shadows  and  the  tomb  with  triumph 
and  in  peace.  He  has  occupied  good  pastorates  and  honorable 
places  in  the  associations.     His  first  wife  (Miss  Dicey  Truss, 


St.  Louis  Street  Baptist  Church,  Mobile,  Ala.,  Rev.  J.  L.  Frazier,  Pastor. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  221 


whom  he  married  in  1844),  has  preceded  him  to  the  goodly- 
land,  and  both  their  children  have  passed  before  him.  He 
now  lives  in  Talladega  with  his  second  wife  (the  widow  of 
Mr.  Thomas  Barclay),  in  very  easy  circumstances,  and  still 
finds  plenty  of  work  to  do  in  the  cause  of  the  Master.  Few 
men  are  more  widely  known  and  more  generally  beloved  than 
he.  For  wrath  and  malice  he  is  entirely  a  child.  Nothing 
could  more  surprise  his  brethren  than  to  see  him  in  a  fit  of 
ugly  temper,  or  to  hear  from  his  lips  expressions  of  ill  will. 
Brother  Wood  speaks  in  praise  of  Revs.  Messrs.  McCain, 
Mynett  and  Law  (white)  as  friends  to  their  colored  brethren 
in  the  time  of  the  latter's  weakness  and  inexperience  in 
church  work. 

P.  S. — Our  dear  Brother  Wood  has  gone  to  his  crown  on  the 
ever  bright  shore.  Peace  hover  over  thy  dust,  O  thou  man  of 
God! 

Wood,  Rev.  R.  T.,  of  Huffman,  pastor  of  Pleasant  Hill 
Church,  and  son  of  Mr.  Henderson  Wood,  of  the  same  place, 
is  the  eleventh  child  of  a  family  of  thirteen  children.  While 
he  was  still  very  small  two  older  brothers  were  killed  by  the 
"  K.  K.  K.,"  which  clan  terrorized  the  country  after  the  close 
of  the  war.  In  consequence  of  which  sad  incident,  it  is 
thought,  his  father  died  of  mental  depression,  leaving  the  sub- 
ject of  our  sketch  without  a  father's  presence,  guidance  and 
support.  Nothing  daunted  by  this  host  of  sorrows  and  mis- 
fortunes, Mr.  Wood,  industriously  and  with  patient  spirit, 
notwithstanding  his  delicate  constitution,  gave  himself  to  such 
engagements  as  came  to  his  hand,  making  horse  collars  and 
brooms  as  well  as  aiding  his  widowed  mother  in  spinning, 
knitting  and  weaving.  In  his  thirteenth  year  he  was  minded 
to  seek  for  peace  with  God,  and,  so  at  an  early  age,  he  began  to 
attain  to  experiences  of  grace  which  have  increased  with  the 
growth  of  years. 


222  COLORED    BAPTISTS    OF    ALABAMA. 

Evidently  the  family  is  possessed  of  sterling  qualities,  as 
may  be  seen  in  their  aspiration  and  courage.  The  other  mem- 
bers of  the  family  whom  I  have  met  live  an  independent  home 
life  in  the  mountains  near  Huffman.  Mr.  Wood  hopes  he  may 
find  an  opening  through  which  to  enter  the  mission  field  in 
Africa,  and  his  name  has  been  sent  in  to  the  mission  authori- 
ties. If  his  life  should  be  spared  for  a  maturer  development 
he  will  be  a  tower  of  strength  in  good  things.  He  is  a  gradu- 
ate from  the  Grammar  Department  of  Selma  University,  in 
which  institution  he  expects  to  take  a  higher  course. 


BIOGRAPHICAL    SUPPLEMENT. 


IT  is  to  be  regretted,  perhaps,  that  this  volume  has  in  it  a 
feature  which  must  be  considered  a  supplement.  But 
doubtless  the  author  will  be  excused  when  he  tells  the  reader 
that  many  have  delayed  till  now — long  after  the  completion 
of  the  book — to  send  in  their  names.  New  men,  strong  men, 
have  lately  come  to  us  from  other  States — men  whose  names 
could  not  well  go  into  the  main  body  of  the  book,  for  the 
reason  that  this  has  been  done  for  some  time.  Also,  young 
men  of  our  own  State  have  risen  into  such  favorable  notoriety 
as  to  merit  honorable  notice. 

In  the  body  of  the  book  I  have  placed  the  names  of  per- 
sons in  their  alphabetical  order.  Not  so  here:  I  have  entered 
the  names  as  they  came  into  my  hands.  The  printer  was 
hurrying  me,  and  I  could  not  stay  for  proprieties. 


Clark,  Me.  Peter  F.,  son  of  P.  F.  and  Daphney  Clark,  was 
born  in  Hale  county,  Ala.,  near  Gallion,  on  the  Taylor  planta- 
tion. He  first  attended  what  in  his  neighborhood  was  known 
as  the  Vaughn  Hill  School,  and  afterward  studied  at  a  night 
school  taught,  he  says,  "by  one  who  would  have  been  my  mis- 
tress had  slavery  continued."  Bro.  Clark  has  been  remarka- 
bly successful  in  business,  which  is  largely  due  to  his  industry, 
economy  and  courteous  manners.  He  is  vice-president  of  the 
Penny  Savings  Bank  in  Birmingham,  as  well  as  one  of  the 
directors.  In  speaking  of  the  line  of  work  out  of  which  he 
derived   his   start  in   business   affairs,  he  remarked   to  the 


224  COLORED    BAPTISTS    OF    ALABAMA. 

writer :  "  I  remained  with  one  firm  twelve  years."  As  we  see 
-his  success  in  the  light  of  this  statement,  we  are  reminded  of 
the  old  saying,  "  The  rolling  stone  gathers  no  moss."  So  many 
fail  on  all  lines  because  they  move  about  so  much.  Mr.  Clark 
is  sociable,  hospitable,  and  courteous. 

O'Riley,  Rev.  J.  P.,  pastor  at  Compton  and  Trussville, 
gives  the  following  sketch  of  himself:  "I  was  born  in  Saint 
Croix,  Danish  "West  Indies,  August  1,  1850.  In  1 870  I  entered 
a  Catholic  school  in  Baltimore,  with  a  view  to  preparing  for 
the  priesthood.  In  1874  I  joined  the  Protestant  church,  and 
in  1880  I  was  ordained  to  the  ministry  of  the  Baptist  denomi- 
nation. My  pastorates  in  Alabama  have  been  in  connection 
with  the  St.  Paul  Church  at  Greenville,  Coalburg  Chapel,  Mt. 
Nebo  at  Patton,  Mt.  Joy  at  Trussville,  and  Mt.  Olive  at 
Compton." 

Bro.  O'Riley  is  a  vigorous  worker,  and  js  blessed  with 
social  qualities  which  make  him  an  agreeable  companion. 

Fbazier,  Rev.  Jeremiah  Lemuel,  son  of  Richard  and 
Phoebe  Frazier,  was  born  in  Abbeville  county,  S.  C,  June  18, 
1857.  He  says  :  "  My  parents  were  among  the  poorest  of  the 
slaves."  In  1867  his  parents  moved  to  Florida,  where,  in 
1874,  their  son  was  baptized  into  the  Bethlehem  Baptist 
Church,  near  Madison  county  Court  House. 

His  Education. — He  has  had  no  public  school  advantages, 
but  being  possessed  of  a  quiet,  appreciative,  observing,  aspir- 
ing turn  of  mind,  he  availed  himself  of  such  educational  facil- 
ities as  came  in  his  way.  In  the  fall  of  1874,  he  entered  a 
night  school  and  continued  his  studies  during  the  long  nights 
of  the  winter,  paying  the  teacher  one  dollar  per  month.  Be- 
ing called  off  from  this  advantage  by  the  demands  of  the 
farm,  he  sought  knowledge  in  the  Sunday  School,  and  in  the 
study  of  such  books  as  he  could  command.      He  speaks  with 


BIOGRAPHICAL    SUPPLEMENT.  225 

pleasure  of  the  fact  that  his  mother  prayed  that  he  might 
learn  to  read  the  Bible,  that  he  did  learn  to  read  it,  and  that 
he  read  it  to  her  in  her  weary  hours  of  sickness.  The  affec- 
tionate son  is  now  the  affectionate  man. 

His  Work,  etc. — On  informing  his  pastor  that  he  was 
called  to  preach,  he  was  advised  to  take  up  a  course  of  study, 
which  he  did,  continuing  it  for  about  ten  years,  during  which 
time,  1878,  he  was  wedded  to  Miss  Ida  Paul,  a  young  lady 
sufficiently  skilled  in  letters  to  render  him  valuable  service  in 
his  books.  He  was  ordained  in  March,  1885,  to  take  charge  of 
the  Zion  Baptist  Church,  Enterpise,  Fla.,  since  which  time  he 
has  been  pastor  in  Sanford,  Fla.  He  is  now  the  beloved,  suc- 
cessful pastor  of  the  St.  Louis  Street  Church,  Mobile,  Ala.  He 
is  a  good  preacher,  good  pastor,  good  financier,  good  man. 
The  above  named  church  was  organized  in  1854  ;  their  build- 
ing is  worth  §20,000. 

Kellee,  Rev.  R.  H.,  of  Birmingham.  This  young  man 
is  brought  into  special  prominence  by  his  missionary  opera- 
tions in  the  "  Magic  City."  He  began  at  Avondale  as  pastor, 
but  seeing  that  so  many  people  were  absentimg  themselves 
from  the  churches,  he  conceived  the  idea  that  where  the 
people  would  not  or  could  not  go  to  the  gospel,  the  gospel 
should  go  to  them.  Mr.  Keller  went  to  work  at  his  idea, 
speaking  in  empty  store  houses,  etc.,  in  the  most  ignorant  and 
most  polluted  neighborhoods  or  sections  of  the  city,  to  such 
of  the  people  as  he  could  induce  to  attend.  At  last  he  stirred 
such  interest  in  favor  of  his  project  and  plans  as  influenced 
many  of  the  good  people  of  the  white  churches  to  render  sub- 
stantial aid. 

At  present  all  the  white  and  all  the  colored  ministers  of 
Birmingham — except  the  Catholic  and  Episcopal — are  united 
in  Mr.  Keller's  support.     It  is  rather  a  strange  fact  in  gospel 


226  COLORED  BAPTISTS  OF  ALABAMA. 

work  that  this  man  should  thus  represent  both  races  and  all 
creeds.  His  talks  before  the  white  people,  so  I'm  informed, 
have  caused  the  white  women  of  Birmingham  to  propose  a 
work  upon  their  part  that  has  for  its  object  the  betterment  of 
the  home  life  of  the  colored  people. 

"  The  Union  Conference  of  the  White  and  Colored  Minis- 
ters of  Birmingham  "  is  a  result  of  Mr.  Keller's  labors.  Evi- 
dently he  is  a  man  of  strong  hope  in  and  strong  grasp  upon 
his  purpose  as  well  as  patience,  amidst  discouragements. 

Loveless,  Hon.  H.  A.,  of  Montgomery,  was  born  Novem- 
ber 24,  1854,  near  Union  Springs,  in  Bullock  county,  Ala.  His 
ex-master  retained  him  on  the  old  farm  for  five  years  after  the 
war  was  over  on  the  plea  that  his  mother  was  unable  to  as- 
sume his  management  and  support.  Finally,  however,  he  es- 
caped to  Montgomery,  where  he  found  employment  for  small 
wages.  Being  industrious  and  economical,  he  soon  obtained  a 
little  money  ahead  which  he  invested  in  the  butcher's  busi- 
ness. His  business  tact,  push,  courage,  kindness  of  heart, 
politeness  and  integrity  soon  won  for  him  the  confidence  and 
respect  of  his  neighbors,  who  marked  him  as  a  youth  of 
merit  and  promise.  He  soon  became  an  earnest,  consistent 
Christian  man,  from  whose  hands  the  poor  and  needy  were 
daily  fed,  and  at  whose  house  pastors  and  their  families  were 
entertained  for  years  without  cost. 

Now  (1895)  in  addition  to  his  old  business  of  butcher,  he 
operates  a  hack  and  dray  line,  a  coal  and  wood  yard,  and  an 
undertaker's  establishment,  giving  constant  employment  to 
about  twenty-five  persons  at  a  daily  outlay  of  about  $25.  His 
wife,  once  Miss  Lucy  Arrington,  whom  he  married  in  1875.  is 
a  suitable  help  for  him,  no  less  in  his  labors  of  love  than  in 
his  business  enterprises.  He*  is  worth  not  less  than  $15,000. 
His  life  is  an  inspiration  to    poor  young  men  starting  the 


BIOGRAPHICAL    SUPPLEMENT.  227 

journey  of  life.  Mr.  Loveless  is  an  honest  man,  which  in  the 
language  of  another,  is  the  noblest  work  of  God.  The  char- 
acter of  the  man  may  be  seen  in  his  advice  to  his  laborers : 
"Pay  your  debts  if  it  takes  the  last  cent  you  have." 

Eason,  Rev.  James  Henry. — Among  the  younger  and 
scholarly  men  of  Alabama  is  Rev.  James  Henry  Eason.  This 
energetic  Christian  worker  and  model  of  moral  courage  was 
born  October  24, 1866,  in  the  "  piney  "  woods,  eight  miles  from 
Sumterville,  Sumter  county,  Ala. — fifteen  miles  from  the 
railroad. 

His  father,  Jesse  Eason,  has  served  as  deacon  in  the  Sum- 
terville Baptist  Church  for  a  number  of  years,  and  is  highly 
respected  by  both  races  in  his  community. 

His  mother,  Chaney  Eason,  is  a  faithful  Christian  worker 
in  the  church,  as  well  as  a  devoted  wife  and  mother.  Mr. 
Eason's  strength  of  character,  talent  and  success  are,  to  a  large 
degree,  heritages  from  this  good  woman.  His  mother  taught 
him  his  alphabet  one  Sabbath  when  he  was  only  five  years  of 
age.  The  early  part  of  his  life  was  spent  with  his  parents  on 
the  farm,  and  he  attended  public  school  near  his  home.  His 
first  teacher  was  a  Mr.  Poe,  a  white  man,  who  said  to  him,  as 
they  were  coming  from  school  one  day  :  "  You  will  be  a  smart 
man  one  of  these  days." 

James  did  not  advance  very  far  in  his  books  under  this 
teacher,  who  taught  the  old  method  of  going  through  the 
spelling  book  first,  next  the  reader  and  then  review.  Besides, 
the  schools  only  lasted  three  months  in  each  year.  His  marked 
improvement  was  not  made  until  his  parents  moved  to  Sum- 
terville, and  he  began  studying  under  Rev.  C.  R.  Rodgers  and 
H.  D.  Perry  from  Selma  University.  It  was  in  the  Wednesday 
evening  prayer  meetings,  held  in'  the  school  by  Rev.  C.  R. 
Rodgers,  he  received  a  deep  and  effectual  religious  impression. 


Rev.  T.  TV.  Walker,  Pastor  Shiloh  Baptist  Cbureh,  Birmingham,  Ala. 
Moderator  Mt.  Pilgrim  Association. 


BIOGRAPHICAL    SUPPLEMENT.  229 

A  year  afterward — October,  1881 — he  was  baptized  into  the 
Suniterville  Baptist  Church  by  Rev.  G.  Lowe.  In  November 
of  the  same  year  he  entered  the  Alabama  Baptist  Normal  and 
Theological  School  at  Selma,  Ala.,  now  Selma  University.  In 
1885  he  graduated  from  this  institution  with  the  highest 
honors  of  his  class — his  class  being  the  second  class  to  gradu- 
ate from  this  institution.  Along  with  the  normal  course  he 
took  the  college  preparatory  course,  and  began  his  college 
course  in  the  fail  of  1885.  After  spending  about  two  years  in 
this  course  he  abandoned  it  on  account  of  financial  embarrass- 
ment and  other  unfavorable  circumstances.  To  this  point  he 
had  kept  himself  in  school  by  working  on  the  farm  during 
the  summer  'months. 

In  1883  he  took  a  little  school  at  Ohio,  Ala.,  and  in  1886 
he  canvassed  and  sold  the  Colored  Chieftain.  In  1887  he  was 
elected  principal  of  Garfield  Academy,  Auburn,  Ala.  It  was 
in  this  position  his  noble  qualities  claimed  the  attention  of  the 
public  as  a  teacher  and  preacher— yes,  as  a  leader.  Here  the 
desire  of  higher  education  burnt  again  upon  his  heart  and, 
against  the  protest  of  patrons,  he  resigned  this  position  and 
entered  Richmond  Theological  Seminary,  Richmond,  Va.,  in 
18S7.  After  three  years  of  hard  study  he  graduated  ahead  of 
his  class  in  1890  with  the  degree  of  B.  D.,  and  returned  to 
Alabama  and  began  work  as  professor  of  mathematics  in  Selma 
University — a  position  he  still  holds.  He  was  ordained  in 
Tabernacle  Baptist  Church,  Selma,  Ala.,  in  1891,  and  took 
charge  of  Union  Baptist  Church,  near  Marion.  Ala.  He  has 
baptized  one  hundred  persons.  He  is  moderator  of  New  Ca- 
haba  Association,  and  managing  editor  of  the  Baptist  Leader. 
As -a  teacher  he  is  admired  by  the  pupils  and  respected  by  the 
faculty.  He  is  a  hard  student  and  takes  high  rank  as  a 
preacher,  and  excels  in  persuasive  oratory.      He  is  original, 


230  COLORED    BAPTISTS    OF    ALABAMA. 

broad  minded  and  good  natured,  and  is  much  respected  among 
the  brethren  of  the  State. 

Mason,  Dr.  Ulysses  Grant.- — "We  feel  justified  in  saying, 
that  among  the  rising  and  foremost  young  men  of  Alabama  is 
the  one  whose  name  heads  this  article.  He  is  the  youngest 
son  of  Mary  and  Isaac  Mason;  was  born  November  20,  1872, 
in  Birmingham,  Ala.,  which  city  is  still  his  home. 

Until  the  age  of  16  his  school  advantages  were  limited  to 
the  rural  districts,  where  educational  facilities  were  few.  But 
his  desire  to  learn  soon  exhausted  the  shallow  draughts  of  the 
primary  school,  and  therefore  he  entered  the  State  Normal 
School  at  Huntsville,  Ala.,  now  located  at  Normal,  Ala.,  where 
he  drank  more  freely  from  the  deeper  springs  of  science  and 
art.  Aside  from  his  regular  course,  he  pursued  the  carpen- 
ter's trade,  at  which  his  success  Mras  soon  apparent;  for,  two 
months  after  entering,  he  was  advanced  to  the  position  of 
foreman  over  some  of  his  older  colleagues.  He  graduated 
from  the  above  named  school  June  1,  1891.  As  a  student  and 
teacher  the  thought  uppermost  in  his  mind  was  that  of  serving 
his  race  by  helping  to  lift  it  to  a  higher  plane  of  intellectual 
culture,  for  he  was  not  slow  to  see  the  moral  and  physical 
disadvantages  under  which  it  was  laboring.  To  effect 
this  result,  he  dedicated  all  his  energies  to  the  social  and 
educational  betterment  of  his  race.  After  finishing  the  course 
at  this  school,  he  taught,  as  a  stepping  stone  to  further  use- 
fulness, having  held  with  honor  and  respect  the  principalship 
of  the  Calera  public  school.  He  resigned  this  position,  much 
to  the  regret  of  the  school  board  and  patrons,  to  enter  the 
Meharry  Medical  College,  Nashville.  His  success  as  a  stu- 
dent of  medicine  surpassed  even  his  previous  career,  causing 
the  surprise  and  even  the  envy  of  many  who  claimed  to  have 
towered  far  above  him  in   the  literary  world.    He  was  ap- 


BIOGRAPHICAL    SUPPLEMENT.  231 

pointed  prescriptionist  for  the  clinic,  and  assistant  professor 
of  clinical  medicine  in  the  absence  of  Prof.  R.  F.  Boyd,  B.  S., 
M.  D.,  D.  D.  S.,  in  which  capacity  he  proved  very  efficient.  He 
refused  the  honor  of  valedictorian  of  his  class,  and  was  unan- 
imously elected  treasurer. 

Dr.  Mason  is  now  located  at  his  home,  Birmingham,  Ala., 
and  is  one  of  our  best  physicians.  His  kindly  and  affable 
manner  has  won  to  him  the  love  and  confidence  of  all.  There 
can  be  no  question  as  to  his  future  success,  as  this  is  assured 
in  his  good  qualities,  skill,  and  the  confidence  of  the  people. 

Sisson,  Rev.  Samuel  S. — The  subject  of  this  sketch  was 
born  in  the  little  town  of  White  Plains,  Calhoun  county,  Ala., 
June  11,  1863.  He  lived  with  his  parents  on  a  plantation, - 
helping  them  in  every  possible  way.  He  was  converted  and 
baptized  in  1871.  He  attended  the  public  schools  as  opportu- 
nity allowed  him.  In  1882,  being  convinced  that  he  was  called 
to  preach,  he  entered  the  Alabama  Baptist  Normal  and  Theo- 
logical School  (now  Selma  University),  under  the  presidency 
of  Dr.  W.  H.  McAlpine.  Here  he  studied  hard,  paying  his 
own  way. 

In  18S-1  he  was  called  as  pastor  of  the  Baptist  Church  at 
Stock  Mill,  Ala.,  Cherokee  county.  He  served  this  church 
four  years,  during  which  time  he  baptized  and  added  to  the 
church  250  persons.  Not  being  satisfied  with  his  education, 
he  returned  to  Selma  University  in  1888.  He  was  in  school 
only  two  months  when  he  was  asked  to  supply  the  pulpit  of 
the  St.  Philip  Street  Baptist  Church,  Selma,  Ala.,  as  pastor 
pro  tern. 

He  served  them  in  this  capacity  three  months,  when  he 
was  elected  pastor,  in  which  capacity  he  served  the  church 
about  five  years.  A  great  many  doubted  the  ability  of  the 
young  Timothy  to  stand  in  the  shoes  of  such  noted  theologians 


232  COLORED  BAPTISTS  OF  ALABAMA. 

as  Rev.  Wm.  A.  Burch  and  Dr.  C.  O.  Boothe.  He  himself  felt 
that  his  task  was  very  difficult.  He  could  only  trust  in  Him 
whose  power  is  inexhaustible. 

It  was  not  long  until  his  congregation  outnumbered  any 
other  in  the  city.  He  states  that  during  his  five  years  as 
pastor  he  added  1,142  members  to  the  church.  Six  hundred 
and  forty-two  by  baptism. 

He  also  laid  plans  to  build  a  new  church.  Three  thousand 
three  hundred  and  ninety-seven  dollars,  so  he  informs  the 
writer,  was  raised  under  his  administration  for  the  new  church 
building.  Feeling  that  his  work  was  about  accomplished  in 
this  field,  he  resigned  as  pastor  in  the  fall  of  1893.  He  was 
then  called  to  Milton,  Fla.,  to  pastor  the  Mt.  Pilgrim  Baptist 
Church.  He  served  the  church  only  five  months.  His  own 
State,  Alabama,  not  being  willing  to  give  him  up,  he  accepted 
a  call  by  the  Jerusalem  Baptist  Church,  Bessemer,  Ala.  He 
is  now  serving  this  church  and  is  building  up  a  strong  con- 
gregation for  the  Master.  He  is  active  in  church  work  and 
much  loved  by  his  brethren  throughout  the  State. 

In  1888  he  married  Mrs.  Roxie  Drake,  of  Auburn,  Ala., 
and  to  this  fortunate  union  is  due  much  of  his  success.  She  is 
to-day  the  organist  of  his  church.  Rev.  Sisson  has  high  hopes 
for  the  future  of  his  people  and  does  everything  possible  to 
advance  them.  He  is  friendly  and,  therefore,  has  friends 
everywhere  he  works.  He  is  a  hard  student  of  God's  word. 
As  a  preacher  he  is  sound  in  practice  and  doctrine. 

Jordan,  Mrs.  Dinah  Smith,  was  born  in  "Walker  county, 
Ala.,  March  26,  18(59.  Her  early  days  were  spent  in  Arka- 
delphia,  Blount  county,  and  in  1883  she  came  with  her  mother 
to  live  in  Birmingham.  Ala.  Mrs.  Jordan,  from  a  child,  loved 
to  read  that  Book  of  all  books  the  best,  the  Holy  Bible,  and  in 
April,  1885,  gave  her  heart  to  God.    The  new-found  love  in 


BIOGRAPHICAL    SUPPLEMENT.  233 

her  heart  now  brought  new  motives  and  new  aspirations  into 
her  life.  She  was  in  a  new  kingdom,  and  wanted  to  work  for 
her  King.  A  sermon  preached  by  her  pastor,  Rev.  W.  R. 
Pettiford,  on  "  Christian  Growth  and  Usefulness,"  very  deeply 
impressed  this  young  Christian,  and  to  this  day  is  an  inspira- 
tion to  ber.  Another  one  whom  she  dearly  loved  was  Mrs. 
M.  A.  Ehlers,  a  missionary  under  the  Women's  Baptist  Home 
Mission  Society,  who  was  at  that  time  in  Birmingham,  and 
who  she  says  will  never  know  the  help  she  has  been  to  her 
in  her  Christian  life,  until  the  lights  of  Eternity  dawn  upon 
her.  She  began  by  doing  the  little  things  that  came  to  her 
hands  to  do — faithfully  attending  the  services  of  her  church, 
bringing  children  to  the  Sunday  school,  and  seeking  in  her 
home  to  honor  her  Savior.  As  grand  a  motive  may  be  had  in 
doing  those  things  which  in  the  eyes  of  the  world  seem  small 
as  in  doing  that  which  the  world  calls  great  and  admires  ;  and 
Mrs.  Jordan,  we  believe,  had  this  true  motive,  the  love  of 
Christ  constraining  her. 

Her  marriage,  which  took  place  on  June  7,  1S87,  to  Mr. 
Andrew  Jordan,  had  been  made  a  subject  of  special  prayer. 
The  husband  thinks  he  has  one  of  the  best  of  Christians  in 
his  wife,  and  through  her  consistent  life  he  was  led,  in  the 
fall  of  1892,  to  say,  as  did  Ruth  of  old:  -Thy  God  shall  be 
my  God."  The  Women's  Missionary  Society  opened  up  new 
avenues  of  usefulness  to  her,  and  as  they  came  she  gladly 
went  forward — visiting  the  sick,  doing  religious  visiting  in  the 
homes  of  non-church-goers,  and  holding  fireside  schools  for 
the  children  in  her  neighborhood.  She  rejoices  that  in  these 
she  has  had  the  blessed  privilege  of  directing  the  minds  of  the 
little  ones  to  Jesus.  Her  work  as  teacher  in  one  of  the  indus- 
trial schools  conducted  by  the  missionaries  has  been  faithful, 
earnest,  and  a  means  of  great  strength  to  them,  and  her  gentle 
ways  have  won  the  love  of  the  pupils. 

16— 


234  COLORED  BAPTISTS  OF  ALABAMA. 

She  loves  the  work  of  the  young  people,  and  is  a  member 
of  the  board  of  the  associational  B.  Y.  P.  U.  Her  consistent 
Christian  life  in  her  home  and  in  the  circles  in  which  she 
moves  has  made  her  life  a  blessing  to  all. 

Duxcan,  Mrs.  M.  D. — This  lady  who  began  and  is  now 
operating  a  female  academy,  was  born  in  the  year  1864  . 
March  8,  in  Jefferson  county,  Ala.  She,  for  one,  has  made 
her  mark  in  life.  She  professed  a  hope  in  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  in  the  year  1876 — was  baptized  by  Rev.  E.  T.  Wink- 
ler (white),  and  joined  the  Baptist  church  of  Marion,  Ala. 
She  worked  her  way  in  school.  After  she  finished  the 
primary  department  (taught  by  Mrs.  Frances  Nickerson,)  she 
entered  the  Lincoln  Normal  University,  where  she  was  grad- 
uated in  1882.  Then  she  was  thrown  out  on  the  great  voyage 
of  life,  to  meet  the  many  hindrances  and  obstacles  that  fall  in 
the  pathway  of  life.  But  being  a  brave  and  persevering  wo- 
man, she  triumphed  over  them  all.  She  commenced  teaching 
school  in  1879,  in  Marion,  Perry  county.  In  1882,  she  taught 
a  three  months'  term  in  Bibb  county.  She  was  then  highly 
recommended  by  the  President  of  L.  N.  University  to  Tuska- 
loosa,  where  she  taught  in  the  city  school  for  two  terms;  then 
removed  to  York  Station,  Sumter  county,  and  there  taught 
two  terms,  and  in  1889,  taught  one  term  in  Forkland,  Greene 
county.  She  was  then  called  to  Demopolis,  to  take  charge  of 
the  Female  Institute,  where,  for  five  years,  and  up  to  the  pres- 
ent time,  she  has  given  mutual  satisfaction  to  the  entire  city 
and  community. 

The  above  is  given  to  show  the  spirit  of  enterprise  among 
us  and  to  excite  others  to  work  on  the  same  line. 


BIOGRAPHICAL    SUPPLEMENT.  235 

Closing  the  chapter  which  brings  into  prominence  notable 
individuals  of  the  denomination,  the  author  feels  that  it  is 
only  just  to  remark  that  many  of  the  most  cultured  and 
deserving  of  our  number  are  not  mentioned.  This  comes  of 
the  facts  that  limited  means  made  the  production  of  a  large 
book  impossible,  while,  on  the  other  hand,  as  the  author  was 
hard  pressed  with  other  business,  his  survey  of  the  field  was 
necessarily  imperfect.  Such  persons  as  the  learned  and  indus- 
trious Prof.  J.  W.  Beverly,  of  the  State  School  at  Montgom- 
ery ;  Prof.  A.  H.  Parker,  principal  of  one  of  the  city  schools 
of  Birmingham  ;  Prof.  R.  B.  Hudson,  principal  of  the  City 
School  of  Selma;  Prof.  E.  W.  Knight,  of  the  faculty  of 
Selma  University;  Prof.  Phillips,  principal  of  one  of  the 
city  schools  of  Montgomery;  Mr.  Edgar  A.  Long,  the  busi- 
ness manager  of  the  "Alabama  Publishing  Company,"  Bir- 
mingham ;  Mrs.  A.  A.  Bowe,  teacher  of  the  sewing  depart- 
ment of  Selma  University  ;  Mrs.  M.  A.  Boothe,  the  first  pres- 
ident of  the  Colored  W.  C.  T.  U.  of  Alabama,  and  Mrs.  S.  L. 
Ross,  the  first  secretary  ;  Mrs.  S.  A.  Hardy  (once  Miss  Stone) 
who  led  the  women  in  their  successful  money  effort  in  inter- 
est of  our  brick  school  building  at  Selma;  Mrs.  C.  Copeland 
and  Miss  Octavia  B.  Boothe,  who  have  been  in  the  employ  of 
the  Baptist  "Women's  Home  Mission  Societies  as  missionaries; 
Mrs.  Amanda  Tyler,  of  Lowndesboro  ;  Mrs.  R.  T.  Pollard  and 
Mrs.  S.  H.  Wright,  of  Montgomery  ;  Mrs.  Rebecca  E.  Pitts,  of 
Uniontown  ;  Mrs.  Alice  Gray,  of  Talladega  ;  Mrs.  Lula  Pat- 
terson (once  Miss  Lula  Watkins),  the  very  capable  teacher  of 
music  in  Selma  University ;  Doctors  Robert  and  Felix  Tyler, 
of  Lowndesboro ;  Prof  Samuel  Roebuck,  of  Elyton ;  Rev.  T. 
W.  Robinson,  of  Gurleys  ;  Rev.  H.  Zimmerman,  the  efficient 
leader  of  Bibb  County  Association ;  Mrs.  Nancy  Nickerson, 
the  first  teacher  of  colored  children  in  Perry  county  ;  Rev.  F. 
L.  Jordan,  pastor  of  the  Sixteenth  Street  Church,  Birmingham 


236 


COLORED    BAPTISTS    OF    ALABAMA 


— of  all  these,  with  many  other  worthy  persons,  our  book  fails 
to  give  any  notice.  Their  absence  from  the  biographic  sketches 
is  to  be  accounted  for  solely  in  the  reasons  mentioned,  namely, 
that  means  were  limited  and  the  author's  time  and  energy 
were  divided  between  so  many  different  lines  of  work  as 
necessitated  an  imperfect  survey  of  the  field. 


V.     SUMMARY. 


WE  now  turn  our  pen  toward  the  conclusion,  on  our  way 
to  which  we  will  briefly  consider:  (1)  From  whence 
we  have  come;  (2)  How  we  have  come;  (3)  The  point  we 
now  occupy. 

I.    FROM  WHENCE  WE  HAVE  COME. 

We  have  seen  tbe  tree — dwarfed  and  yellow-leafed — in  the 
sterile  rock-bound  soil  of  the  mountain  peak,  and  we  have  felt 
that  its  life  was  a  mere  existence,  a  mere  hairs-breadth  re- 
move from  death.  The  fearful  regime  of  slavery  had  reduced 
the  mental  life  of  the  Negro  to  the  point  where  its  activity 
was  a  simple,  natural  struggle  for  existence.  By  the  terms 
mental  life  are  designated  especially  the  knowing  faculties 
and  voluntary  powers,  as  well  as  that  part  of  the  emotional 
nature  that  has  to  do  with  character-making.  I  mean  to  say 
that  in  his  intellect,  will,  and  moral  sense,  the  Negro  was,  by 
slavery,  reduced  to  the  minimum.  It  could  not  be  otherwise 
for  these  reasons :  (a)  It  was  unlawful  for  him  to  know 
books;  he  must  know  nothing  save  what  his  master  told  him, 
and  must  never  ask  for  a  reason,  (b)  He  was  not  allowed  to 
have  any  will  of  his  own  except  in  minor  points,  with  refer- 
ence to  a  brute  or  a  fellow  slave.  His  master's  will  was  sub- 
stituted for  his,  and  out  of  his  master's  choice  his  words  and 
deeds  must  proceed,  even  as  concerned  the  most  sacred  rela- 
tions of  life.  At  his  master's  choice  he  took  the  wife,  and  at 
his  choice  he  gave  up  the  wife,     (c)  He  was  not  allowed  to 


Rev.  J.  W.  Jackson,  Pastor  Eufaula  Baptist  Church. 


SUifMABY.  239 


have  any  conscience,  except  where  his  master  had  no  choice. 
Whatever  the  master  said  the  slave  must  do,  that  he  must  c?o, 
conscience  or  no  conscience.  Now  this  state  of  things  had 
gone  on  for  over  200  years.  From  this  condition  we  came 
forth  into  liberty,  and  with  this  eking  existence  of  wilted  life 
we  must  make  a  beginning  as  freemen.  With  nothing  of  that 
sort  of  manhood  which  comes  only  of  the  well  ordered  domestic 
circle,  we  had  to  put  our  shoulders  beneath  burdens  which 
come  of  the  family  institution.  The  duties  of  citizenship  were 
imposed  upon  us,  notwithstanding  we  had  never  felt  or  studied 
anything  of  the  privileges  and  obligations  which  center  in 
individual  sovereignty.  Though  we  were  ignorant  of  the 
gospel  for  the  most  part  and  knew  nothing  of  the  order  of 
business  in  church  meetings,  we  found  ourselves  suddenly 
forced  into  the  management  of  church  affairs.  We  had  now 
to  look  to  our  own  heads  for  light,  to  our  own  hearts  for  cour- 
age, and  to  our  own  consciences  for  moral  dictation.  So  much 
for  the  hinderances  from  within  ourselves. 

CHANGE    rs    THE    SOCIAL    STATUS    OF    THE    SOUTH. 

The  master  and  the  slave  were  each  pulled  from  his  place 
as  by  a  mighty  force — a  force  which  did  no  little  tearing  on 
both  sides,  especially  on  the  side  of  master.  For  this  reason 
the  master  was  sore.  The  South  had  grown  rich  in  slaves. 
This  property  the  war  pulled  from  its  fists,  and  left  in  its 
midst.  The  Southern  people  who  were  rich  one  day  were  poor 
the  next  day.  That  the  presence  of  the  former  slave,  clothed 
in  the  sovereignty  of  citizenship,  amidst  his  ex-master's 
poverty,  should  chafe  and  madden  the  master,  there  can  be  no 
wonder.  Well,  it  did  madden  him,  and  because  of  this  fact 
the  pioneer  Negro  leader  often  found  himself  "  headed  off"  or 
hindered  with  reference  to  some  church  or  school  project  in 
his  mind.     Often  did  he  hide  or  turn  from  his  course  to  escape 


240  COLORED  BAPTISTS  OF  ALABAMA. 

punishment  or  death  by  the  hands  of  persons  who  suspicioned 
him  as  a  bad  man  to  be  among  "  the  Negroes  of  the  neighbor- 
hood." The  writer  has  had  many  narrow  escapes  and  painful 
experiences. 

We  needed  help,  but  whither  should  we  go  to  obtain  it? 
Thank  God  for  the  few  white  people  who  had  grace  in  such  a 
time  to  extend  a  helping  hand  to  us  in  our  and  in  their  time 
of  weakness. 

II.     HOW  WE  HAVE  COME. 

(a)  Not  long  since  a  white  merchant  of  this  state  re- 
marked to  me:  "No  people  have  ever  improved  so  much  in  so 
short  a  time  as  your  people  have."  I  replied:  "I  think  no 
people  ever  had  a  more  faithful,  self-sacrificing  leadership." 
I  think  it  may  be  said  of  us  that  we  have  done  what  we  could. 
The  work  began  when  we  owned  neither  land  for  home  nor 
land  for  church  house — when  there  was  no  church,  no  associ- 
ation, no  mission  board  to  offer  any  pay  for  labor.  I  speak  of 
course  of  the  rule.  True,  there  were  a  few  colored  churches 
in  "slavery  time,"  three  missionary  and  one  primitive ;  but 
what  were  three  churches  in  the  midst  of  such  a  vast  popula- 
tion, scattered  over  so  much  territory?  What  could  they  do 
in  their  poverty  and  want  of  training  to  support  400  or  500 
pioneer  organizers?  We  went  to  the  battle  at  our  own 
charges.  With  homeless  mothers  and  fathers,  with  homeless 
wives  and  children,  and  with  oppression  on  every  side — with 
all  these  burdens  and  much  more  which  cannot  be  told,  upon 
us — we  bravely  undertook  the  work  of  building  the  walls  of 
Zion.  The  writer  knows  a  minister  who,  (between  1866  and 
1875,  especially  between  '66-77,  during  the  reign  of  the  "K. 
K.  Klan,"  when  the  people  could  not  in  many  places  be  induced 
to  open  their  doors  after  dark  for  fear  of  being  shot),  has  en- 


SUMMARY,  241 

dured  some  of  the  severest  privations  and  performed  some  of 
the  hardest  toils  known  to  the  ministry,  at  his  own  charges. 
This  case  is  only  one  in  hundreds.  Our  ministry,  whatever 
the  faults  and  imperfections  which  have  attended  them,  have 
wrought  nobly  and  wrought  to  good  results. 

The  following  will  serve  to  show  why  the  writer  is  in- 
clined to  believe  these  early  pioneers  were  often  especially 
favored  of  God  in  controlling  the  people  for  good:  On  one 
occasion  two  preachers  met  for  the  first  time.  The  younger 
man  spoke,  and  the  elder  was  one  of  the  hearers.  The  sermon 
was  ended.  The  two  preachers,  approaching  each  other  and 
grasping  hands,  spoke  to  each  other  thus:  The  younger  man: 
"I  feel  the  Lord  wants  me  to  preach,  but  I  am  not  able  to 
preach."  The  elder  man:  "God  has  called  you  to  preach  the 
gospel,  but  you  are  not  now  in  the  spirit  of  the  ministry.  You 
are  proud  and  'pend  too  much  upon  yourself.  You  get  self 
out  so  God  can  fill  you  up  with  his  spirit.  Go  and  pray  to 
God  for  the  spirit  of  the  gospel  ministry."  This  advice  was 
heeded  and  the  end  revealed  the  correctness  of  the  elder  man's 
views.     Another  case: 

A  young  man  of  some  attainment  in  letters,  who  taught 
school  under  the  "Freedmen's  Bureau,"  being  anxious  to  rid 
himseif  of  a  sense  of  duty  to  preach  the  gospel,  decided  to  go 
off  to  another  state  where  his  church  connections  were  un- 
known. He  did  so.  After  he  had  quit  the  train  and  put  down 
his  baggage  at  the  home  of  a  family  who  had  consented  to  en- 
tertain him,  and  as  evening  drew  on,  he  was  requested  by  his 
hostess  to  attend  the  preaching  which  was  to  come  off  at  a 
neighbor's  house  that  evening  (there  was  no  church  house). 
The  young  man  went.  A  pen  picture  of  the  preacher  is  given 
after  this  fashion:  Lean,  brown  skin  man,  whose  shirt  showed 
much  of  his  breast;  whose  feet  were  sockless  and  in  shoes 
which  left  the  toes  uncovered;  whose  stiff  locks  held  a  comb. 


242  COLORED    BAPTISTS    OF    ALABAMA. 

He  told  us  of  a  wicked  city  that  was  laying  beneath  the  pend- 
ing judgments  of  God. 

It  needed  a  message  of  warning — only  this,  and  it  would 
face  about  and  clothe  itself  in  humble  penitence.  God  had 
the  message,  and  He  imparted  it  to  the  messenger  and  ordered 
him  to  go.  Here  the  preacher  drew  a  picture  of  Jonah :  He 
is  shrinking  from  his  glorious  charge — has  his  back  toward 
Niueveh,  and  is  fleeing  in  an  opposite  direction ;  is  boarding  a 
ship  that  he  may  go  to  regions  over  the  sea ;  is  going  down 
into  the  hold  of  the  ship ;  is  fast  asleep.  Here  the  storm  and 
the  raging  deep  receive  notice :  A  cloud  rises  and  quickly 
covers  the  skies;  winds  attend  it  with  a  fury  hitherto  un- 
known to  the  shipmen,  who  seem  at  once  to  discern  hi  the 
storm  the  tokens  of  judgment ;  the  sea  is  wild ;  the  sailors,  as 
a  last  resort,  awake  Jonah  and  cast  lots ;  the  lot  falls  upon 
Jonah,  and  he  is  cast  into  the  maddened  sea,  where  a  sea 
monster  swallows  him.  At  this  point,  changing  his  voice 
more  into  the  imperative  tone,  the  preacher  said :  "  I  'spect 
there  is  a  Jonah  here  to-night,  and  I  warn  him  to  take  the 
message  of  his  God  and  carry  it  to  poor,  lost  sinners  who  do 
not  know  their  right  hands  from  their  left;  I  warn  him  to  go 
before  he  shall  be  in  the  belly  of  hell."  The  reader  is  left  to 
imagine  how  this  affected  the  young  school  teacher  who  was 
fleeing  from  his  duty.  In  some  parts  of  Limestone  county  the 
people  use  an  improvised  lamp,  the  oil  vessel  of  which  is  a 
snuff  bottle.  This  is  a  rough  vessel,  but  it  holds  the  oil  which 
feeds  the  flame.  This  reminds  us  of  Mr.  Spurgeon's  beer- 
bottle  candlestick.  Well,  I  want  to  say  that  God  used  these 
men,  whatever  were  their  imperfections — they  had  power. 
But  we  have  had  help  from  without. 

(a)  Our  white  neighbors — some  of  them,  at  least — have 
aided  us.  They  have  helped  us  build  our  church  houses  and, 
in  some  cases,  contributed  to  our  schools.     They  have  taught 


SUMMARY.  243 

in  our  Sunday  schools,  preached  in  our  pulpits,  helped  us  in 
the  work  of  organizing  associations,  etc.  They  have  taught 
ministers'  classes  and  held  ministers'  institutes  among  us. 
The  writer  once  held  the  position  of  teacher  of  institutes 
under  the  appointment  and  support  of  the  white  Baptist  Con- 
vention of  Alabama,  and  Dr.  McAlpine  now  serves  under  the 
appointment  of  the  Southern  Board.  Several  of  our  best  men 
were  enabled  to  attend  the  Home  Mission  schools  on  money 
given  by  their  white  brethren. 

(b)  We  have  been  improved  by  our  public  schools.  It  is 
a  strange  providence  which,  in  our  public  school  system,  now 
returns  upon  the  black  man  something  of  the  interest  due 
him  in  consideration  of  unrewarded  labors.  These  schools 
have  given  us  some  choice  men  and  women,  who  are  strong  in 
the  work  of  the  church.  However,  it  is  in  place  to  say  that 
we  have  not  derived  from  our  public  school  system  all  the 
good  which  it  is  capable  of  bestowing,  first,  because  poor 
teachers  have  far  too  often  been  put  upon  the  people.  But, 
on  the  other  hand,  there  has  been  loss  because  we  have  not 
properly  appreciated  our  needs  and  opportunities,  as  consid- 
ered from  an  educational  point  of  view.  The  sessions  of  the 
public  schools  could  be  supplemented  and  extended  in  most 
cases  so  as  to  cover  six  or  eight  months  of  each  year. 

(c)  The  Publication  Society  has  rendered  substantial  aid 
in  the  gift  of  books  to  our  ministers  and  Sunday  Schools  as 
well  as  by  the  personal  touch  and  teaching  of  their  Sunday 
School  Missionaries. 

(d)  The  Missionary  Societies  of  the  Baptist  women  of 
Chicago  and  Boston  have  done  a  great  work  among  us.  Their 
good  missionaries,  such  as  Misses  Moore,  Knapp,  Voss  and 
others  whose  names  will  ever  be  precious  to  our  people,  have 
given  themselves  to  work  among  our  women  and  girls.  They 
have  breathed  into  our  home  life  their  beautiful  piety,  and 


First  Baptist  Church,  Selma,  Ala. 
C.  J.  Hardy,  Pastor. 


SUMMARY.  245 


they  have  acquainted  our  mission  bands  and  church  workers 
with  the  latest  and  best  methods  of  labor.  We  have  seen 
with  their  eyes  and  felt  with  their  hearts. 

(e)  The  Selma.  University,  with  one  exception,  is  the 
source  of  our  greatest  blessing.  It  is  simply  impossible  to 
estimate  the  good  that  has  come  to  Alabama  Baptists  out  of 
this  institution.  What  it  has  done  is  beyond  the  power  of 
calculation.  Only  Omniscience  can  reckon  up  the  good  effects 
of  its  power  upon  the  people.  God  be  praised  for  Selma  Uni- 
versity! When  we  began  the  school  in  1878,  we  hadn't  one 
single  graduate  in  our  midst.  Since  that  time  graduates  have 
gone  forth  as  follows  : 

1884. 

R.  T.  Pollard,  S.  A.  Stone,  W.  W.  Posey,  T.  H.  Posey,  R.  B. 
Hudson,  L.J.  Green, C.  R.  Rodgers,  A.  A.  Bowie,  D.  T.  Gully, 
A.  W.  Hines,  and  Miss  Washington,  now  Mrs.  R.  T.  Pollard. 

1885. 
J.  A.  Anthony,  W.  E  Large,  J.  H.  Eason  and  Mrs.  Thomp- 
son. 

1886. 
W.  S.  Matthews,  H.  L.  Thomas,  Dr.  L.  L.  Burwell   and 
Mrs.  H.  M.  Baker. 

1887. 
M.  M.  Archer,  S.  H.  Campbell,  J.  C.  Copeland,  W.  T.  Bibb, 
W.  A.  Watson,  F.  P.  Tyler,  J.  H.  Culver,  P.  A.  Kigh,  C.  H. 
Patterson,  Mrs.  R.  B.  Hudson,  Mrs.  A.    W.  Hines,  Vannie 
Brooks. 

1888. 
S.  H.  Abrams,D.  A.  Bible,  R.  D.  Taylor,  Mrs.  M.  F.  Wil- 
son, E.  J.  Nelson  and  Mary  F.  Williams. 

1889. 
R.  M.  Williams,  E.  L.  Blackman,  Mrs.  P.  F.  Clark,  Mrs. 


246  COLORED  BAPTISTS  OF  ALABAMA. 

W.  T.  Bibb,  P.  E.  Gresham,  D.  L.  Prentice,  J.  R.  Willis  and 
Dr.  W.  K.  Pettiford. 

1890. 
W.  J.  Bryson,  R.  T.  Payne,  J.  F.  Payne,  Dr.  R.  Tyler,  Dr. 
L.  Roberts,  E.  W.  Knight,  J.    C.   Leftwich,  L.   A.    Sinkler, 
Mrs.  W.  B.  Johnson,  Mrs.  G.  A.  Brown,  Win.  Cooper,  Emma 
Garrett,  M.  Turner,  Mary  L.  Smith,  P.  S.  L.  Hutchins. 

1891. 
P.  B.  Taylor,  C.  E.  Clayton,  Mary  Osborne,  Lula  Gray, 
Ida  M.  Wilhite,  Yiola  Hudson,  Mamie  C.  Welch,  A.  M.  Jack- 
son, J.  McConico,  J.  H.  Hutchinson,  M.  M.  Porter,  E.  T.  Tay- 
lor. 

1892. 
R.  L.  Hill?  G.  P.  Adams,  E.  M.  Carter,  W.  T.  Coleman,  I. 
B.Kigh,  B.  R.  Smith,  Chas.  White  Jr.,  M.  J.   Brown,  A.  E. 
Gilliam,  Pattie  Richardson,  Amelia  Tyler  and  Maggie  John- 
son. 

1893. 
J.  A.  Graham,  W.  M.  Montgomery,  H.  E.  Grogan,  Eva 
Green. 

1894. 
I.  T.  Simpson,  C.  J.  Davis,  W.  H.  Wilhite,  Annie  Stone, 
T.  W.  Calvary  and  Eliza  Fuller  (Mrs.  Knight). 

1895. 

Lula  E.  Ware,  Annie  L.  Jones,  Comer  E.  Carter,  Benja- 
min F.  Sanders,  Lila  L.  Jones,  Julia  L.  Sanders,  Mary  F.  Mc- 
Cord,  Emma  P.  Jones,  Earnest  W.  Brown  and  Donnie  E. 
Hillson. 

We  see  very  little  that  these  names  mean  except  we  asso- 
ciate them  with  the  masses  of  the  people  in  the  various  walks 
of  social  and  business  life.  But,  associating  them  thus,  we 
see  them  as  so  many  stars  lighting  up  the  dark  places  around 


J 


SUMMARY.  247 


them.  However,  to  do  this  is  by  no  means  to  place  ourselves 
where  we  can  see  the  whole  truth.  What  has  been  wrought 
upon  the  thousands  of  students  who  failed  to  finish  the  pre- 
scribed course?  They  are  elevated  and  they  have  borne  their 
elevation  to  their  neighbors.  From  their  teachers  and  from 
the  refining  atmosphere  of  the  school,  they  have  drunken 
purer  thoughts,  loftier  aims  and  a  stronger  manhood.  This 
they  have  carried  to  others  less  favored  than  themselves,  and 
now  it  works  as  the  leaven  in  the  dough.  Again,  the  school 
has  strengthened  us  by  its  weight  upon  our  hearts  and  hands. 
Labor,  well  directed,  develops  strength  in  the  laborer.  We 
are  greater  because  we  have  been  compelled  to  care  for  that 
institution,  and  it  has  caused  us  to  have  faith  in  ourselves. 
We  now  know  that  it  is  possible  for  us  to  maintain  an  educa- 
tional work.  It  is  needless  to  say  that  by  means  of  it,  we  have 
looked  larger  in  the  eyes  of  others.  Somehow,  he  who  can 
do  something  good  and  great  commands  our  respect. 

(/)  The  Home  Mission  Society. — This  society  has 
served  us  to  greater  results  than  any  other  agency.  To  this 
society  the  university  owes  above  half  the  money  which  has 
given  it  support  all  these  years.  They  have  given  us  mission- 
ary aid  which  has  served  to  produce  higher  life  and  better  or- 
der in  our  churches  and  associations.  And  from  their  schools 
beyond  our  state  we  have  received  many  of  our  most  capable 
persons,  among  whom  we  may  mention  Drs.  Dinkins,  Puree, 
Stokes,  Owens,  our  eloquent  Fisher,  and  Jones,  our  scholarly 
Peterson,  the  urbane  Jackson  of  Eufaula,  the  industrious 
Bradford,  and  others  whose  names  I  cannot  at  this  moment  re- 
call. Mrs.  C.  S.  Dinkins,  as  well  as  Mrs.  C.  0.  Boothe,  came 
to  us  from  the  Roger  Williams  University,  a  Home  Mission 
Society  School.  But  what  has  been  said  will  suffice  to  show 
us  how  we  have  come  to  be  a  wiser  and  a  better  people  than 
we  were  thirty  years  ago.     And  if  we  see  what  has  blessed  us 


248     '  COLORED    BAPTISTS    OF  ALABAMA. 

in  the  years  gone  by,  no  doubt  we  shall  be  able  to  see  that  the 
same  things  may,  if  we  will  permit  them  to  do  so,  bless  us  in 
the  years  to  come.  May  our  steps  not  be  forgotten  by  our 
children. 

III.    THE  POINT  WE  NOW  OCCUPY. 

Thirty  years  we  have  been  beneath  the  opportunities  and 
duties' of  free  manhood,  which  is  to  say  that  for  thirty  years 
we  have  been  associated  with  the  family  institution  as  hus- 
band, as  wife,  as  parent,  as  sister,  as  brother,  as  son,  and  as 
daughter.  Three  decades  with  the  family,  developing  af- 
fection and  making  patience.    . 

Thirty  years  of  business  life  has  passed  upon  us,  which  is 
to  say  that  we  have  for  this  length  of  time  been  associated 
with  those  facts  which  grow  out  of  our  physical  wants,  such 
as  labor,  system,  economy,  competition,  skill,  etc. 

We  have  had  thirty  years  over  our  own  consciences,  over 
our  own  wills,  over  our  own  church  affairs.  We  have  had 
thirty  years  with  books  and  schools.  We  have  had  thirty 
years  under  the  duties  of  citizenship.  What  have  we  attained 
to  in  this  time?  Have  these  years  given  us  any  fruits?  Are 
we  where  we  were  in  1865?     Let  us  see. 

(a)  Church  Property. — At  the  close  of  the  war  we 
owned  (?)  two  frame  buildings  in  Mobile  and  owned  (?)  the 
brick  basement  of  the  building  now  occupied  by  our  white 
brethren  in  Selma,  worth — all  told — about  $8,000.  We  now 
own  nine  brick  buildings,  worth  not  less  than  $100,000  above 
their  indebtedness.  And  we  cannot  make  an  estimate  of  the 
church  property  whereon  are  frame  structures.  The  property 
of  this  sort  in  the  city  of  Birmingham  and  vicinity  is  worth 
$15,000,  in  Montgomery  $26,000,  in  Mobile  $12,000,  in  Talla- 
dega $10,000,  in  Greensboro  $3,000,  in  Eufaula  $6,000,  in  Tus- 
kegee  $2,500,  in  Opelika  $2,500,  in  Eutaw  $2,000,  in  Deinopoli* 


Miss  Joanna  P.  Moore,  Xashville,  Tenn.,  thirty  years  Missionary  to  the 
Colored  People  of  the  South. 


SUMMARY.  249 

$3,000,  in  Decatur  $1,500,  in  Florence  $1,500,  in  Courtland 
$1,200,  in  Gadsden  $2,000.  But,  it  is  not  intended,  and  is  not 
necessary,  to  mention  every  point,  as  the  aim  is  to  show  that 
throughout  the  State  we  have  churches  in  their  own  quarters, 
on  their  own  land.  Everywhere  we  have  put  our  work  not 
only  into  mind  but  we  have  put  it  into  dirt,  brick  and  stone. 
Two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars  worth  of  church  prop- 
erty scattered  throughout  the  State,  as  it  is,  affords  a  good 
foundation  for  future  operation. 

(b)  School  Property. — Our  school  at  Selma  is  now 
worth  about  $30,000.  It  was  bought  in  1878  for  $3,000,  and 
has  been  in  constant  operation  ever  since,  though  at  one  time 
a  debt  of  about  $8,000  threatened  its  life.  We  owe  a  debt 
of  a  little  over  $3,000  at  this  time.  The  Howard  College, 
the  leading  school  of  our  white  brethren,  owes  it  is  said  a  debt 
of  about  $33,000,  and  lately  the  report  has  come  to  the  writer 
that  the  management  had  thought  of  assigning,  because  they 
could  not  see  how  they  could  raise  money  enough  to  meet  the 
interest.  I  mention  this  only  to  show  that  our  struggles  are 
similar  to  the  struggles  of  other  good  people,  and  that  we  have 
abundant  cause  for  rejoicing  and  hope. 

Well,  we  have  in  Selma  University  an  educational  founda- 
tion. The  Marion  Academy,  worth  about  $2,000,  begins  aca- 
demies. 

(c)  Educated  Men  and  Women. — Over  one  hundred 
young  people  have  received  diplomas  from  Selma  University. 
Graduates  have  come  to  Alabama  from  other  States.  Baptists 
have  graduated  from  other  schools  in  this  State— schools  like 
Talladega  and  Tuskegee,  the  school  at  Huntsville,  and  the 
school  at  Montgomery.  This  statement  of  facts  is  calculated 
to  turn  our  minds  toward  a  possibility  and  prophecy  of  the 

17— 


250  COLORED  BAPTISTS  OF  ALABAMA. 

near  approach — even  on  the  part  of  the  masses — of  that  state 
of  mind  which  lives  and  moves  in  the  higher  pleasures  and 
to  the  more  sacred  ends  of  life. 

(d)  Homes. — The  wandering  life  which  characterized  the 
masses  of  the  people  in  1865,  is  fast  giving  place  to  settled 
home  life.  We  have  invested  hundreds  of  thousands  of  dol- 
lars in  town  lots  and  farm  lands,  where  we  are  quietly  and 
contentedly  rearing  our  loved  ones,  studying  the  good  of  our  - 
community,  and  arranging  for  the  prosperity  of  the  house  of 
God.  In  other  words,  we  are  fixtures  in  the  country  and 
fixtures  in  the  cities  and  towns.  We  have  attained  to  affairs — 
to  the  possession  of  money  and  other  forms  of  material  value — 
so  that  we  have  power  in  the  world  of  exchange.  Prof.  B.  T. 
Washington  is  a  wonder  among  men  as  the  builder  and  man- 
ager of  the  greatest  school  in  Alabama,  and  his  friend,  Mr. 
Logan,  proves  that  the  colored  men  can  manage  great  money 
schemes,  while  Mr.  B.  H.  Hudson  and  others,  of  Birmingham, 
establish  the  Negro  as  a  banker. 

(e)  Organizations. — We  are  now  together — acquainted, 
organized.  In  the  beginning  of  1865,  the  minister  in  one  part 
of  the  State  did  not  know  the  minister  in  the  other  part. 
There  was  no  union,  no  plan  of  agreement.  Now  there  are 
about  800  churches,  all  organized  into  associations.  Each 
church  may  be  reached  and  affected  through  its  association, ' 
with  regard  to  any  line  of  work.  We  have  created  a  strong 
sentiment  in  favor  of  education  and  a  strong  sentiment  against 
intemperance,  so  that  the  masses  of  the  people  may  be  easily 
led  in  right  directions.  The  day  of  pioneering  lies  behind  us, 
and  most  of  the  pioneers  are  gone  to  their  long  home.  We 
are  now  at  the  point  for  action  on  new  lines.  As  individual 
Christians  we  need  to  turn  our  attention  more  directly  upon 
the  one  aim  of  human  life,  namely,  God-like  character  building 


SUMMARY.  251 


in  ourselves  and  in  them  with  whom  we  have  to  do.  As 
churches,  we  need  to  see  to  it  not  only  that  we  win  souls,  but  that 
we  train  them  in  Christian  work  also.  All  other  points  being 
equal,  the  trained  soldier  is  the  man  to  trust  with  the  battle. 
The  Sunday  school  work  and  the  young  people's  unions  are 
very  available  as  training  institutions.  May  God  put  it  into 
the  hearts  ot  the  leaders  of  this  new  day  and  new  chapter  in 
our  history  to  see  to  it  that  these  organizations  shall  serve  the 
ends  for  which  they  are  so  well  suited.  May  their  hearts 
wholly  enter  into  the  possibilities  and  purposes  of  every 
sacred  organization ! 

I  take  courage,  and  there  arises  in  my  mind  glorious 
prospects  coming  down  the  future,  as  I  see  the  faith  and  push 
of  our  Sunday  school  and  our  women's  conventions.  If  our 
present  Sunday  school  leaders  should  succeed  in  wrapping 
their  mantles  about  men  who  will  be  as  faithful  under  the 
midday  light  as  they  have  been  in  the  dawning,  the  future 
must  find  an  ever  broadening  compass  of  Bible  influence,  and 
an  ever-increasing  beauty  in  our  words  and  lives. 

THE  WOMEN S'  CONVENTION— A  HIGH  POINT. 

The  Women's  State  Convention  organized  in  1886,  marks 
a  new  era  in  the  history  of  our  denomination.  The  present 
brick  building  on  our  school  grounds  owes  its  existence  chief- 
ly to  this  organization.  They  came  into  the  field  in  a  dark 
time,  and  at  a  time  when  the  wheels  of  the  school  dragged 
heavily.  The  circumstances  which  sent  Miss  S.  A.  Stone  be- 
fore the  people  of  the  State  seemed  a  providence.  The  time, 
the  conditions,  needed  the  heart  of  a  woman  to  control  them. 
And  the  Women's  Convention  conquered  the  hardness  of  heart 
and  the  division  of  opinion,  prevailing  among  the  people,  by 
sending  Miss  Stone  among  them.    Most  grandly  did  she  con- 


252  COLORED    BAPTISTS    OF    ALABAMA. 

quer.  "Well,  what  is  the  lesson  here?  It  is  this:  let  the  wo- 
men still  be  encouraged,  let  them  continue  to  operate.  We 
need  all  our  forces  in  line. 

Too  much  praise  cannot  be  bestowed  upon  JVlesdames  G. 
J.  Brooks,  R.  T.  Pollard,  C.  J.  Hardy,  A.  A.  Bowie,  W.  R.  Pet- 
tiford.  A.  J.  Gray,  M.  Tyler,  S.  H.  Wright,  E.  W.  Armstead, 
J.  A.  Craig  and  the  other  noble  women  associated  with  them 
for  the  services  they  have  rendered  the  state  in  the  support 
they  have  given  their  Convention.  The  times  demand  that 
this  work  shall  still  be  faithfully  continued.  I  am  glad  that 
we  are  up  in  our  ideas  of  woman,  and  the  fact  that  we  are 
argues  progress  on  our  part. 

It  is  a  praiseworthy  fact  that  we  colored  Baptists  occupy - 
advanced  ground  with  regard  to  the  questions  which  involve 
the  powers  and  rights  of  women.  I  remember  that  upon  one 
occasion  just  after  the  close  of  the  war,  my  mother  returned 
from  church  rather  disgusted  because  a  woman  had  been 
called  upon  to  lead  in  public  prayer.  Now,  too,  the  singing, 
the  reading  and  the  praying  in  our  congregations,  are  assum- 
ing forms  suited  to  our  advanced  or  advancing  state  of  mind. 
The  song  is  suited  to  the  text  and  fewer  stanzas  are  sung. 
The  music  is  not  so  slow  and  is  rendered  with  more  harmony 
and  life.  In  the  sermon,  the  preacher  aims  to  give  his  audi- 
ence thoughts  rather  than  feelings,  and  longs  to  make  his  hear- 
ers iciser  rather  than  happier.  He  who  reads  the  Bible  to 
others,  whether  he  reads  in  family  or  church,  reads  by  para- 
graphs— taking  in  a  single  thought  or  fact  at  the  time — in 
place  of  the  old  custom  of  reading  a  whole  chapter  in  connec- 
tion with  which  no  one  idea  was  raised  into  prominence.  In 
short  our  gospel  reformers  seem  now  to  realize  that  saving 
faith  in  the  truth  is  that  exercise  of  soul  regarding  truth  that 
satisfies  the  intellect,  impresses  the  sensibilities  and  bows  the 
will  beneath  the  gospel  forms  and  gospel  spirit.    Of  course 


SUMMARY.  253 


this  is  not  true  of  all  our  teachers,  but  it  is  true  of  many  of 
them ;  and  the  tendency  upon  the  part  of  the  whole  people  is 
in  this  direction.  Individual  human  essence  leavened  with  the 
Divine  essence,  is  the  goal  in  the  eye  of  the  representative 
leader  of  our  people.  Largely  we  have  attained  to  the  confi- 
dence of  our  white  brethren.  In  the  union  conference  of  the 
•white  and  the  colored  ministers  of  Birmingham,  recently  held, 
I  plainly  saw  that  the  white  Baptist  ministers  were  more  at 
ease  with  the  colored  brethren  than  the  white  ministers  of 
other  denominations,  except  perhaps,  the  Presbyterian  breth- 
ren. And  I  think  they  were  not  so  much  disturbed  about  the 
social  question.  I  call  attention  to  this  fact  in  order  to  say 
that  their  joint  work  with  us  has  enabled  them  to  see  our 
good  qualities  and  concede  to  us  the  claims  which  belong  to 
intellectual  and  moral  culture.  And  as  our  Christian  culture 
shall  widen  its  radius  and  deepen  its  impressions  upon  all 
who  may  be  touched  by  us,  the  prejudice  and  barriers  inci- 
dent to  our  color  must  retire  behind  the  curtains  of  the  past. 

"  Were  I  so  tall  to  reach  the  pole, 

Could  grasp  creation  in  my  span  ; 
I'd  still  be  measured  by  my  soul — 

The  mind's  the  standard  of  the  man." 

I  delight  to  record  that  we  are  attaining  to  humility  as  a 
Christian  grace.  This  is  the  crowning  grace.  Some  years 
ago  the  writer  called  at  the  home  of  Dr.  J.  M.  Pendleton,  in 
Upland,  Pa.  The  doctor  was  upstairs.  A  servant  answered 
the  door  bell,  and  the  visitor  was  conducted  to  the  parlor 
to  await  the  famous  man's  entrance.  As  the  visitor  was 
in  every  way  a  very  little  man,  and  as  he  thought  of  Dr. 
P.  as  being  in  every  way  a  very  large  person,  he  feared  the 
sound  of  every  footstep.  He  expected  to  be  over-awed  by  the 
majesty  and  dignity  of  the  great  man.  As  the  door  knob 
turned  he  was   almost  annihilated.     But  how  different  the 


Rev.  C.  J.  Hardy,  Pastor  First  Baptist  Church,  Selma,  Ala. 


SUMMARY.  255 


sight !  There  stood  the  noted  writer  in  the  spirit  of  a  child. 
How  mighty,  yet,  how  meek  and  lowly !  How  charming,  how 
winning  was  this  child-like  simplicity  and  hospitality  !  With 
the  bewitching  smiles  and  musical  tones  of  childish  inno- 
cence,  he  repeated,  "Brother  Boothe,  from  Alabama,  I  suppose." 
Toward  this  end  we,  too,  are  coming.  The  time  has  been 
when  the  best  man  among  us  would  air  his  big  words,  hang 
out  his  learning  (?),  strut  because  of  a  fine  suit,  boast  of  his 
school  advantages,  laud  his  superior  graces,  gloat  in  his 
empty  titles.  Not  so  now.  To  be  meek  and  lowly  in  heart,  to 
be  full  of  prayer  and  watchfulness,  to  be  charitable  and  self- 
abasing,  to  be  pure  and  pious — these  things  are  before  us 
now. 

The  old  plan  of  collecting  money  for  church  work  regard- 
less of  system  and  regardless  of  the  duty  associated  with 
Christian  giving,  must  also  soon  retire  to  the  past;  for  forces 
are  now  appearing  which  will  work  as  the  leaven  in  the  dough. 

Dr.  Pettiford  has  recently  brought  out  a  book  titled, 
"  God's  Revenue  System,"  wherein  the  author  labors  to  bring 
before  the  people  the  Bible  methods  of  giving.  Arguments 
are  presented  and  proof  texts  are  given  in  their  support.  This 
work  is  being  widely  circulated  among  the  churches  and  min- 
isters. And  the  writer  served  a  churcU  where  the  following 
plan  prevailed  :  At  the  end  of  each  year  the  church  appointed 
a  committee  to  .figure  on  the  expenses  of  the  ensuing  year, 
and  to  help  the  members  and  friends  apportion  the  burden 
among  themselves  according  to  their  several  abilities.  Each 
person  took  upon  himself  what  he  thought  he  might  be  able 
to  pay,  and  dividing  his  share  as  the  church  might  have  need, 
he  paid  it  in  installments.  Usually  the  money  was  collected 
in  the  conference  meetings.  Another  church  came  under  my 
notice  that  had  in  it  "  the  tithe  band,  "  which  gave  a  tenth  of 
their  income  to  the  house  of  God.      In  a  session  of  the  Sea 


256  COLORED    BAPTISTS    OF    ALABAMA. 

Coast  Association  I  witnessed  the  following,  it  was  what  they 
called  "  Women's  Day:" 

One  woman,  holding  her  money  in  her  hand,  said :  « I  am 
president  of  a  mission  band  which  meets  once  a  month  to  learn 
of  our  duty  to  missions.  We  tax  ourselves  one  nickle  a  month, 
and  this  is  our  donation  to  the  work." 

Another  said  :  "  I  raise  chickens.  One  hen  in  my  yard 
I've-  given  to  God.    This  money  is  from  her  eggs  and  chickens." 

Still  another :  "  In  my  orange  orchard  there  are  some 
trees  which  I  have  dedicated  to  God.  The  money  which  comes 
of  the  sale  of  the  fruit  grown  on  these  trees  goes  to  the  cause 
of  Christ."     And  she  laid  her  donation  on  the  table. 

In  a  Christian  home  I  saw  on  the  mantelpiece  a  little  box 
marked,  "  God's   bank."     Into  this  money  was  dropped  at  | 
stated  seasons  in  order  that  there  might  never  be  any  want  of  . 
consecrated  money  in  the  house.    In  a  certain  home  sickness.- 1 
had  cut  off  income.     The  missionary  secretary  sent  to  this 
home  for  money.    In  order  that  a  donation  might  be  sent  in, 
the  family  agreed  to  leave  the  sugar  off  the  table  for  a  certain 
length  of  time.    Thus  a  small  amount  was  saved  for  the  cause 
of  Christ.    Thank  God,  that  truth  on  all  lines  is  finding  an 
echo  in  our  souls !     We  are  not  only  learning  the  value  of  1 
money  and  enterprise,  but  we  are  also  learning  that  "a  man's m 
life  consisteth  not  in  the  abundance  of  the  things  which  he  I 
possesses." 

Wedlock  is  becoming  more  sacred.  More  and  more  the 
people  are  growing  into  a  responsiveness  to  the  sacredness  of 
the  marriage  relation.  The  husband  has  increased  in  knowl- 
edge  regarding  his  duty  to  his  wife;  the  wife  sees  better  her 
relation  to  her  husband ;  the  parents  more  clearly  perceive 
what  is  possible  and  proper  with  reference  to  their  children ; 
and,  therefore,  we  can  claim  thousands  of  homes  which  are 
sources  of  refinement,  of  love,  and  of  purest  pleasure.     Music   ; 


SUMMARY.  25' 


is  brought  in,  and  in  many  homes  the  family  choir  contributes 
to  the  enjoyment  of  children  and  parents,  whose  hearts  feast 
upon  mutual,  sweet  affection.  Not  long  ago  the  writer  had 
the  pleasure  of  receiving  the  hospitality  of  a  family  in  which 
such  a  choir  existed.  Each  member  had  his  place  somewhere 
on  the  staff;  either  he  was  in  the  tenor,  or  in  the  alto,  or  in 
the  soprano,  or  in  the  bass.  Mother,  father  and  children  de- 
lightfully partook  of  the  feast  of  song.  Their  Scripture  lesson 
was  not  a  long,  disjointed  chapter,  but  a  single  thought, 
namely :  "  The  wisdon  that  is  from  above."  Its  qualities 
were  considered — they  were:  (1)  Pure;  (2)  peaceable;  (3) 
gentle ;  (4)  approachable ;  (5)  merciful ;  (6)  fruitful  of  good 
works;  (7)  impartial;  and  (8)  honest.  This  lesson  was  in  a 
scheme  on  the  blackboard,  kept  in  the  home  for  such  pur- 
poses, thus : 

1.  Purity. 

2.  Peaceableness. 

3.  Gentleness. 

4.  Approachableness. 
Mercy. 

6.  Fruitfulness  in  good  works. 

7.  Impartiality. 

8.  Honesty. 

This  plan  gave  opportunity  to  discuss  in  a  few  words 
each  designated  quality.  Each  person  large  enough  to  take 
part  was  encouraged  to  do  so.  One  part  of  the  evening  hour 
Was  spent  in  amusing  literary  games,  like  the  following: 

A  word  was  suggested,  and  so  many  minutes  were  al- 
lowed to  elapse,  during  which  time  each  member  of  the  family 
sought  to  make  the  greatest  number  of  words  out  of  the  let- 
ters composing  the  word  suggested.  At  the  close  of  this 
allotted  time,  spelling  was  compared,  and  the  difference  as  to 
the  number  of  words  made  by  each  was  noted.  The  exercise 
was   pleasant,  exciting  and   profitable.    The  writer  mused : 


Heavenly  Wisdom, 
Its  Qualities.  1     5 


258  COLORED  BAPTISTS  OF  ALABAMA. 

« 

"  This  is  so  much  better  than  gossip,  unsociableness,  sullen 
silence,  and  quarreling."  From  the  word  abatement,  for  ex- 
ample, came  the  words:  At,  mat,  bat,  bet,  tab,  mate,  am,  an, 
ant,  tent,  beat,  abate,  Abe.  At  other  times  problems  in 
mathematics  furnished  the  wrestling  point;  then  points  in 
geography  and  history  were  entertained.  "Name  as  many 
cities  as  you  can  containing  so  many  thousand  inhabitants, 
and  tell  where  they  are,"  was  proposed.  Thus  an  hour  or  so 
of  the  early  evening  was  profitably  passed  away  in  shunniDg 
evil  and  gathering  knowledge  for  good. 

We  dare  hope  that  every  home  will  seek  to  improve  on 
this  line.  Evil  cannot  be  kept  out  of  the  home  except  in  pro- 
portion as  we  fill  it  with  what  is  good.  And  the  quality  of 
the  home  life  must  determine  the  quality  of  the  social  life,  of 
the  church  life,  and  of  the  political  life,  as  well  as  of  the  busi- 
ness life,  of  any  people. 

As  a  further  illustration  of  the  influences  and  plans  oper- 
ating among  us — as  a  fitting  conclusion — we  present  the  follow- 
ing from  Miss  Knapp,  one  of  the  faithful  missionaries  of  the 
Women's  Baptist  Home  Mission  Society  : 

MISSIONARY  WORK  IN  BIRMINGHAM  DISTRICT. 

Many  are  the  blessings  God  has  bestowed  upon  mission- 
ary work  in  Birmingham  and  it  is  a  real  pleasure  to  state 
briefly  some  of  the  methods  employed  which  have  given  the 
workers  so  much  joy,  and  which  our  Heavenly  Father  has 
used  to  advance  his  cause. 

Religious  visiting  in  the  homes  of  the  people  is  a  very  im- 
portant part.  God's  word  never  returns  unto  Him  void,  and 
when  it  is  carried  into  the  homes  and  its  truths  taught  and 
heart  to  heart  talks  given  only  eternity  will  reveal  its  results 
in  leading  lost  souls  to  look  to  a  loving  Savior,  and  arousing 
indifferent  Christians  to  the  fact  that  God  has  chosen  them 


Rev.  S.  L.  Ross,  Sunday  School  Missionary  for  Alabama,  under  Auspices  Ala- 
bama Baptist  Publication  Society. 


260  COLORED  BAPTISTS  OF  ALABAMA. 

and  ordained  them  that  they  should  go  and  bring  forth  fruit. 
Again,  the  teachiDg  of  the  children  is  a  work  never  to  be  over- 
looked, for  the  future  of  any  race  or  nation  depends  upon  the 
moral  and  religious  instruction  given  to  the  young.  The  Sun- 
day schools,  children's  meetings  and  industrial  schools  are 
means  which  are  accomplishing  great  good.  From  two  hun- 
dred to  three  hundred  meet  each  week  in  the  industrial 
schools  during  the  school  year.  We  have  one  session  each 
week  in  each  of  the  schools.  They  are  held  in  the  different 
churches.  About  one  half  of  the  time  in  each  session  is  spent 
teaching  different  kinds  of  sewing,  and  the  remainder  in  giv- 
ing moral  and  religious  instruction.  The  progress  made  by 
many  of  the  pupils  in  sewing  and  in  gaining  Bible  knowledge 
is  often  a  marvel  to  the  missionaries.  The  strong  temperance 
stand  taken  by  many  of  the  children  is  truly  a  delight,  and 
when  one  after  another  professes  a  hope  in  Christ  we  are  led  to 
say,  "  Bless  the  Lord,  O  my  soul,  and  all  that  is  within  me, 
bless  His  holy  name.  "  The  welfare  of  the  young  people  also 
has  a  large  place  in  our  hearts  and  with  the  faithful  co-opera- 
tion of  pastors  and  the  young  people  themselves,  there  are 
about  forty  local  B.  Y.  P.  U.'s  which  are  uuited  in  an  Assso- 
ciational  Baptist  YouDg  People's  Union.  Great  things  are  ex- 
pected of  these  young  people  from  the  Bible  knowledge  they 
are  acquiring  and  instruction  which  they  are  receiving  con- 
cerning Christian  work. 

Perhaps  no  richer  blessings  have  been  given  than  those 
which  have  fallen  on  the  efforts  which  the  women  are  putting 
forth.  Well  can  we  remember  when  there  was  but  one  mis- 
sionary society  in  Birmingham  that  was  trying  to  obey  our 
Savior's  last  loving  words  :  "  Ye  shall  be  witnesses  unto  me 
both  in  Jerusalem  and  in  all  Judea,  and  in  Samaria,  and  unto 
the  uttermost  parts  of  the  earth." 

They  stood  alone,  but  were  inspired  to  go  forward  by  their 


SUMMARY.  261 


pastor,  Rev.  W.  R.  Pettiford.  Though  few  in  number,  the 
blessings  of  God  rested  upon  them.  After  a  time  they  had  a 
public  missionary  meeting.  The  subject  was  "The  Indians." 
It  was  held  on  Sunday  night.  Hearts  were  enlarged ;  the 
work  was  better  understood  by  the  membership  of  the  church, 
and  as  a  result  new  members  were  added  to  the  society.  The 
sisters  in  one  church  after  another  organized  and  joined  the 
ranks.  The  society  of  the  Sixteenth  Street  Baptist  Church 
no  longer  stood  alone. 

The  object  of  the  work  is  given  as  follows  in  Article  II 
of  the  Constitution:  "Its  object  shall  be  to  promote  the 
purity,  intelligence  and  happiness  of  our  homes,  and  to  edu- 
cate the  women  of  our  Baptist  churches  in  a  knowledge  of 
missions,  to  cultivate  in  them  a  missionary  spirit,  and  thus 
lead  them  to  help  in  mission  work  at  home,  in  the  State,  in 
our  country,  and  in  foreign  lands." 

The  following  blanks  are  used  by  the  sisters  in  reporting 
their  work  from  month  to  month : 

Report  of 

For  the  month  of 189 . . 

Have  you  read  the  Bible  each  day  ? 

Have  you  taken  the  Mother's  Pledge  and  kept  it? 

Number  of  religious  visits 

Number  of  families  helped 

Number  aided  to  the  Missionary  Society 

Number  of  meetings  conducted 

Number  of  new  members  brought  into  the  Sunday  School.  . . 

On  July  26,  1S93,  a  day  memorable  in  the  history  of  the 
work,  the  local  societies  were  united  in  a  "Women's  Missionary 
Association."  Mrs.  Cordelia  Taylor  was  chosen  as  its  presi- 
dent. 

The  local  societies  number  about  twenty-five.     We  meet 


262  COLORED    BAPTISTS    OF    ALABAMA. 

twice  a  year,  for  a  one  day's  meeting.      These  meetings  are 
largely  attended,  well  conducted  and  of  real  profit  to  the  work- 

The  study  of  the  uniform  subjects  which  have  been  pre- 
pared for  the  use  of  the  local  societies  have  greatly  helped  the 
mothers  in  their  great  work  in  the  home,  in  the  Church  work, 
and  given  a  more  intelligent  knowledge  of  missions  in  ours 
and  other  lands.  The  public  missionary  meetings  are  being 
held  on  Sunday  afternoons  or  nights  in  the  different  churches 
and  are  proving  the  same  blessing  as  the  first  one. 

Miss  Moore's  paper,  Hope,  is  being  taken  and  read  by 
scores  of  the  sisters,  and  is  an  untold  blessing  to  all. 

The  "  Mother's  Pledge  "  has  been  signed  by  quite  a  com- 
pany and  is  rich  in  results  to  both  mother  and  child. 

Several  of  the  earnest,  Christian  women  are  having  fire- 
side schools  for  the  children  in  their  neighborhoods,  and  the 
books  are  being  purchased  by  many,  thus  affording  good  and 
helpful  reading  in  many  homes. 

Our  hearts  go  up  to  God  in  gratitude  as  we  call  to  mind 
the  co-operation  of  pastors  and  people  in  the  plans  suggested 
by  the  former  as  well  as  the  present  missionaries,  and  the 
bountiful  way  in  which  God  has  blessed  the  efforts  which  we 
have  together  put  forth,  and  we  would  say  in  the  words  of 
the  Psalmist :  "  Many,  O  Lord,  my  God,  are  thy  wonderful 
works  which  thou  hast  done,  and  thy  thoughts  which  to 
usward,  they  cannot  be  reckoned  up  in  order  to  Thee;  if  I 
would  declare  and  speak  of  them  they  are  more  than  can  be 
numbered." 


Dexter  Avenue  Baptist  Church,  Montgomery,  Ala.,  Rev.  R.  D.  Pollard,  Pastor. 


264  COLORED    BAPTISTS    OF    ALABAMA. 

We  earn  millions  of  dollars,  a  large  part  of  which  we 
ought  to  and  can  keep  among  ourselves,  and  thus  strengthen 
the  financial  standing  of  the  Negro  Race. 

We  need  to  establish  and  maintain  money  operations 
among  ourselves,  especially  for  the  following  reasons : 

(1)  No  moneyless  people  have  any  power  or  voice  in  the 
solid  things  of  life,  in  those -facts  which  command  homes, 
farms,  store  houses,  railroads,  live  stock,  steamship  lines, 
furnaces,  manufactories,  merchandise,  banks,  and  the  like. 
We  need  plans  of  co-operation  which  will  enable  us  to  come 
together  with  our  little  savings  until  they  aggregate  to  an 
amount  that  is  large  enough  to  support  some  sort  of  busi- 
ness. Saving  societies  or  circles  should  be  organized  all  over 
the  country,  for  the  purpose  of  studying  methods  for  money 
saving  and  money  investment. 

Of  course,  it  must  be  admitted  that  money  raised  by  our 
people  in  this  way  has  fallen  into  the  hands  of  men  who  bavc- 
made  way  with  it.  But  this  danger  may  be  put  out  of  the  way 
by  compelling  the  man  who  holds  the  money  to  give  good 
security  in  the  form  of  a  bond,  legally  made  and  properly 
signed.  The  money  thus  raised  should  be  deposited  in  the 
bank  till  the  amount  obtained  is  large  enough  for  some  busi- 
ness project.  The  Alabama  Penny  Savings  Bank  of  Birming- 
ham started  somewhat  after  this  fashion,  with  a  small  be- 
ginning, but  now  they  command  in  one  way  and  another 
nearly  one  hundred  thousand  dollars.  This  bank  gives  the 
colored  people  of  Birmingham  a  power  in  financial  circles  that 
they  could  obtain  by  no  other  means. 

CI)  Our  young  people  need  something  to  do.  When  the 
young  white  man  completes  his  course  at  school,  he  returns 
to  find  a  job  ready  for  him — a  job  as  clerk,  bookkeeper,  collec- 
tor or  something  so.  Not  so  with  the  young  black  man — he 
returns   to  an  empty  void  so  far  as   concerns   the  business 


Rev.  C.  L.  Puree,  President,  Louisville,   Kv. 


—18 


266  COLORED    BAPTISTS    OF    ALABAMA. 

world.  He  comes  home  to  be  a  loafer,  or  a  boot-black,  or  a 
buggy  boy,  or  a  cook,  or  a  waiter,  or  a  barber,  or  a  prisoner. 
He  comes  home  to  despair,  to  temptation,  to  ruin.  And  this 
sad  state  of  things  can  never  change  by  accident:  if  a  better 
condition  of  things  shall  ever  be  our  lot,  it  must  come  about 
as  the  result  of  forces  which  the  Negro  himself  shall  put  in 
operation.  Our  white  neighbor  looks  upon  the  facts  that  we 
earn  the  millions  and  can't  control  the  cents,  as  proof  that  we 
are  an  inferior  race.  They  say  we  can  be  preachers,  teachers 
and  doctors,  but  we  can't  manage  money  and  can't  unite  in 
great  business  enterprises.  We  seem  not  to  realize  that  the 
handling  of  business  affairs  conduces  to  the  formation  of 
moral  character.  The  writer  dares  to  hope  that  there  are  bet- 
ter things  in  our  hearts  on  this  line  than  have  yet  appeared, 
and  that  ere  long  they  will  appear  in  our  united  action  and  in 
our  substantial  investments.  However,  "Fear  God  and  keep 
His  commandments" 

CONCLUSION. 

And  now  our  book  is  at  its  end.  How  well  it  serves  the 
purpose  for  which  it  was  produced,  the  reader  will  determine. 
We  gratefully  recognize  the  substantial  services  rendered  by 
friends,  as  during  the  past  ten  years  we  have  hunted  and 
gleaned  for  subject  matter.  The  author  is  under  special  obliga- 
tions to  Messrs  P.W.Williamson,  F.  D.  Davis,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rich- 
ard Walker,  Rev.  T.  W.  Walker,  Dr.  Waldrop,Dr.  and  Mrs.  Pet- 
tiford,  Mrs.  Rachel  Jenkins,  Mrs.  H.  C.  Bryant,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
W.  S.  Simpson,  of  Birmingham ;  Mr.  Tom  Posey,  Bessemer, 
and  Hon.  H.  A.  Loveless,  of  Montgomery. 

To  such  as  may  feel  disposed  to  credit  me  with  the  ability 
to  continue  at  work,  I  would  say  that  but  for  the  faithful  toil 
and  sacrifice  of  my  wife,  Mrs.  M.  A.,  and  of   my  daughter,  Miss 


FINAL   REMARKS. 


267 


Octavia  B.  Boothe,  it  is  hardly  likely  that  my  name  would 
now  appear  in  its  humble  place  on  the  roll  of  writers.  They 
have  borne  the  burden  with  me,  and  we  together  have  per- 
formed these  humble  tasks.  "With  them  I  cheerfully  divide 
my  meagre  honors.  The  writer  lays  down  his  pen  at  the  end 
of  a  pleasant  but  arduous  task,  fully  believing  that  what  we 
have  done  is  but  the  bud  and  prophecy  of  what  we  can  and 
will  do  in  the  years  to  come.  This  book  can  only  tell  of  our 
infancy  and  youth  while  the  historian  who  shall  come  upon 
the  stage  after  twenty  or  thirty  years  beyond  this  date,  will 
bring  forth  a  book  wherein  shall  appear  a  portraiture  of  our 
ripened  manhood,  out  of  which  shall  have  grown  great  enter- 
prises, manned  by  unity,  wisdom,  wealth  and  righteousness. 


Hi 

S3 


THE  ALABAMA  PUBLISHING  COMPANY 

PRINTERS  AND  PUBLISHERS 

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OFKICERSi 
REV.  W.  R.  PETTIFORD,  D.  D.,  Pres.  REV.  T.  W.  WALKER,  Vice-Pres. 

I.  W.  LACY,  Treas.  J.  C.  BARKER,  Sec"y.  E.  A.  LONG,  Bus.  Manager. 


" The  School  of  the  People." 

It  is  our  Object  to  Act  as  a  Medium  Through  Which 

Knowledge  of  Matters  of  Vital  Importance  to 

the  Welfare  of  our  Race  can  be 

Carried  to  the  People. 

Are  You  Interested  in  Us?    -    - 

Are  You  Interested  in  Yourselves? 

Then   see  to  it  that  you    Order  one  of  the   Following 
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"DIVINITY  IN  WEDLOCK," By  W.  R.  Pettiford,  D.  D. 

(25  cents  per  copy ;  by  mail,  28  cents). 
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I 


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SEPT.  2000 


